vexare

Vexare is a Latin verb of the first conjugation meaning to harass, torment, trouble, or vex. It is the present active infinitive of vexo, vexare, vexavi, vexatus. The verb takes a direct object in the accusative and can denote repeated or persistent action: for example, to harass someone. Its principal parts are vexo, vexare, vexavi, vexatus, and its imperfect and other tenses are formed regularly (e.g., vexabat, vexabo).

Etymology and derivatives: vexare yields the noun vexatio, meaning harassment or vexation. It also gave rise to related English forms, most notably vex (via Old French vexer) and the noun vexation, both ultimately tracing back to Latin vexare.

Usage and context: In classical Latin, vexare appears across genres—military, legal, personal, and rhetorical—often indicating annoyance, distress, or repeated troubling action, depending on context. The phrase vexata quaestio, meaning “a vexed or troublesome question,” is a well-known compound used to describe a problematic issue that provokes debate or difficulty.

Modern presence: Today, vexare survives mainly in scholarly or liturgical Latin, as well as in discussions of Latin grammar and in historical texts. It is also encountered in studies of how Latin influenced English, particularly in verbs such as vex and the noun vexation.

See also: vexation, vex, vexilla.