vexing

[ vek-sing ]

adjective

1. irritating, provoking, or annoying:

   Automatic file recovery reintroduced errors already corrected at the proofing stage—which was very vexing.

2. tormenting, troubling, or distressing:

   She came to see racism as her country's most vexing problem.

Other Words From

• vex·ing·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of vexing¹

vex ( def ) + -ing ²( def )

Example Sentences

Let’s celebrate the end of the most vexing, mean-spirited presidential election in modern times.

From Los Angeles Times

For now, let’s celebrate the end of the most vexing, mean-spirited and household-dividing presidential election in modern times, as it heaves itself across the finish line and crumples in a lousy heap.

From Los Angeles Times

I wondered whether losing to “My Sharona” was particularly vexing.

From Los Angeles Times

Beyoncé, meanwhile, lost album of the year three more times — a vexing outcome for music’s most intellectually ambitious superstar.

From Los Angeles Times

If these numbers were actually filmed in full, hacking off their final bars might’ve cut the total runtime, but at the cost of vexing audiences even further.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• alarming
• annoying
• bothersome
• creepy
• depressing
• disconcerting
• discouraging
• distressing
• embarrassing
• frightening
• irritating
• ominous
• painful
• perplexing
• sinister
• startling
• threatening
• troublesome
• troubling
• unpleasant