vex
基本释义
[verb] make (someone) feel annoyed, frustrated, or worried, especially with trivial matters
[动词] 使（某人）感到恼火、沮丧或担忧，特别是在琐碎的事情上
深入解读
Vex 是一个与熟词 sex 以及小站年初推送过的 apex 有着相同结尾的单词。
该词源自拉丁语 vexare （猛烈地摇晃、颠簸、抛掷），15世纪初经古法语 vexer （惹恼、骚扰）进入英语后也是用来表示“使恼火、烦恼、忧虑”，常作正式用语使用，多指在琐碎的事情上使某人感到恼火、沮丧或担忧，常意味着一定程度的愤怒，但有时也意味着深深的困惑或焦虑，比如：
- 一想到别人在背后说我闲话，我就很恼火。于是我精心策划了一个错综复杂的方案来报复他们。
It vexed me to think of others gossiping behind my back. So I contrived an intricate plan to get back at them.
文学例句
And when I returned, sometimes a good deal tired, and not a little weather-beaten, I never dared complain, because I saw that to murmur would be to vex him: on all occasions fortitude pleased him; the reverse was a special annoyance.
我回到家里，虽然有时风吹雨淋，疲惫不堪，但从不敢抱怨，因为我明白一嘀咕就会惹他生气。无论何时，你坚忍不拔，他会为之高兴，反之，则特别恼火。
出自英国女作家夏洛蒂·勃朗特（Charlotte Brontë）创作的具有自传色彩的长篇小说《简·爱》（Jane Eyre）。
外刊例句
- For centuries it vexed medieval miners by looking like a valuable ore that subsequently turned into worthless—and sometimes noxious—rubble
中世纪的几百年里，它害苦了矿工——它看上去很像贵重的矿石，结果却是一钱不值的碎石块，有时还有毒。
——《经济学人》 - But the question that remains has vexed presidents and lawmakers from both parties for decades.
但几十年来，这个仍然存在的问题一直困扰着两党的总统和立法者。
——《纽约时报》
常见短语
- vexing problem: 令人困扰的问题
- vexing situation: 令人烦恼的情况
- vexing behavior: 令人烦恼的行为
- vexing question: 令人困惑的问题
- vexing dilemma: 令人烦恼的困境
- vexing issue: 令人困扰的议题
- vexing task: 令人烦恼的任务
- vexing decision: 令人犯难的决定
- vexing circumstances: 令人困扰的情形
- vexing thought: 令人苦恼的想法
- vexing comment: 令人烦恼的评论
- vexing situation: 令人困扰的局面
- vexing behavior: 令人烦恼的举止
- vexing noise: 令人烦躁的噪音
- vexing delay: 令人烦恼的延迟
- vexing mistake: 令人困扰的错误
- vexing challenge: 令人烦恼的挑战
- vexing remark: 令人烦恼的言论
- vexing situation: 令人头疼的情况
- vexing problem: 令人恼火的问题
- vexing argument: 令人烦恼的争论
- vexing behavior: 令人恼怒的行为
- vexing criticism: 令人烦躁的批评
- vexing decision: 令人苦恼的决策
- vexing dilemma: 令人犯难的困境
- vexing task: 令人费解的任务
- vexing annoyance: 令人恼火的烦恼
- vexing confusion: 令人困惑的混乱
- vexing disappointment: 令人失望的烦恼
- vexing uncertainty: 令人困扰的不确定性
- vexing inconvenience: 令人烦恼的不便
- vexing frustration: 令人沮丧的烦恼
- vexing interruption: 令人厌烦的打扰
- vexing complication: 令人烦恼的复杂情况
- vexing setback: 令人烦恼的挫折
- vexing argument: 令人恼火的争吵
深度学习
vex (rhymes with flex) To annoy or perplex. It’s more often used for small matters than serious concerns. (Would you be vexed if someone hexed you with a variety of pox?)
- The noise of the dripping faucet was a vexation to Will as he tried to finish the daily crossword puzzle.
- Will was vexed by the clue for six down. He felt sure he knew a unit of Indian currency beginning with “R” but he just couldn’t remember it.
——摘自《Fiske WordPower: The Most Effective System for Building a Vocabulary That Gets Results Fast》
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使烦恼（用屈折押韵）使烦恼或困惑。它更常用于小事情，而不是严重的问题。（如果有人给你注射了各种痘，你会生气吗？）
•当威尔试图完成每天的填字游戏时，水龙头滴水的声音让他很烦恼。
•威尔被这条线索弄得六神无主。他确信自己知道一个以“R”开头的印度货币单位，但他就是记不住了。
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同近义词
aggravate: annoy or exasperate (someone), especially persistently
annoy: irritate (someone); make (someone) a little angry
infuriate: make (someone) extremely angry and impatient
