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Synonyms

vexing

American  
[vek-sing] / ˈvɛk sɪŋ /

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 Word Forms

  • vexingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of vexing

vex ( def. ) + -ing 2 ( def. )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The emotion-tossed characters in this book take a vexingly long time to sort out their feelings and make choices, but the challenging narrative rewards persistent readers with a worthy finale.

From The Wall Street Journal

For investors, this raises a vexing valuation issue.

From The Wall Street Journal

“The Tragedy of Coriolanus” presents a more complex and even vexing view of its title character and his rise and fall.

From The Wall Street Journal

When she spotted a photo of herself in China during an opening news conference, she couldn’t help but nod at her own vexing history.

From The Wall Street Journal

Imagine how vexing this has been for Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert, whose gutty season yet again ended with a frustrating fizzle.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.