- Today's Word
Vex
[VEKS]
Definition
- (verb) To annoy, irritate, or worry someone. It’s used to describe causing frustration or mild anger, often through persistent minor provocations or puzzling situations.
Example
The constant buzzing of the faulty fluorescent light vexed the office workers all day, making it hard for them to concentrate.
Fun Fact
The word “vex” has been part of the English language since the 15th century, derived from the Latin “vexare,” meaning “to shake, jolt, or harass.” Interestingly, it’s related to the word “vehicle,” which comes from the Latin “vehere” (to carry), as both share a common Indo-European root meaning “to shake.” In medieval times, to be “vexed” often had stronger connotations, sometimes even implying demonic possession or severe distress. Over the centuries, its meaning has softened to its current usage of general annoyance or irritation. The word’s concise form and sharp sound make it a favorite among writers looking for a punchy way to describe irritation without resorting to more common terms like “annoy” or “bother.”
(adjective) Too great, extreme, or overwhelming to be adequately expressed in words.
Standing at the edge of the Grand Canyon for the first time, she was struck by an ineffable feeling — something vast and wordless that no photograph or description had ever come close to capturing.
Ineffable derives from the Latin ineffabilis — “unutterable” — built from in- (“not”) and effabilis (“speakable”), itself from effari, meaning “to speak out,” from ex- (“out”) and fari (“to speak”). It entered English in the 15th century, used predominantly in religious and mystical contexts to describe the divine — God being the ultimate ineffable subject, a presence so vast that language itself collapses in the attempt to contain it.