vexes

Vexes is most commonly the third-person singular present tense form of the verb vex, meaning to irritate, annoy, or worry someone. In modern usage, sentences typically read with the subject performing the action, as in “The constant delays vexes the committee” or “Minor issues vex me more than I admit.” The verb is transitive and can take direct or indirect objects, and its tone ranges from formal to slightly archaic in everyday speech.

Etymology traces vex to Latin vexare, via Old French vexer, with roots that emphasize troubling or harassing. The word entered English in the medieval period and has retained a sense of persistence or troubling concern through subsequent centuries. Its related forms include vexing (present participle) and vexed (past tense and adjective).

Beyond its verb sense, vex can also appear as a noun in rare, historical, or literary usage, referring to a cause of trouble or irritation. In current English, the noun sense is uncommon; the more typical noun for that idea is vexation. When vex is used as a noun, its plural form vexes is possible in theory but is infrequent in modern writing.

In usage, vexes often pairs with adjectives or phrases that emphasize annoyance, difficulty, or complexity, such as bureaucratic procedures, stubborn problems, or ambiguous rules. It sits in a formal or somewhat literary register, and it contrasts with milder terms like annoy or bother and with stronger terms such as frustrate or irritate. Related concepts include vexation, vexatious, and vexing.