1
vex sb
及物用法，直接接人作宾语。
The constant noise vexed him.
持续的噪音使他烦恼。
使烦恼；使恼火
先理解核心含义，再看它在真实句子里的用法。
使烦恼；使恼火
to make someone feel annoyed or irritated, especially over small things
The constant noise vexed him.
持续的噪音使他烦恼。
多指因小事而烦躁
使恼怒,激怒。
To annoy, irritate.
引起烦恼；尤其因小事打扰
cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations
引起(精神)痛苦；使苦恼
To cause (mental) suffering to; to distress.
扰乱心神；使精神烦躁或痛苦
disturb the peace of mind of; afflict with mental agitation or distress
vex
Base
原形
vexes
3rd person
第三人称单数
vexing
-ing
现在分词
vexed
Past
过去式
vexed
Past participle
过去分词
The constant noise vexes me.
持续的噪音使我烦恼。
His behavior vexed his parents.
他的行为使他的父母烦恼。
She is vexing her brother with silly questions.
她正用愚蠢的问题惹恼她的兄弟。
vex是一个规则动词，其过去式和过去分词均为'vexed'，现在分词为'vexing'，第三人称单数为'vexes'。
The constant noise from the construction site vexes the residents every morning.
建筑工地持续不断的噪音每天早晨都让居民们感到烦恼。
She was vexed by the repeated delays on her way to work.
上班路上一次次延误让她感到恼火。
It vexes me when people talk loudly during a movie.
看电影时有人大声说话会让我很不快。
及物用法，直接接人作宾语。
The constant noise vexed him.
持续的噪音使他烦恼。
介词with引出使人烦恼的事物。
She vexed her brother with endless questions.
她用没完没了的问题烦扰她的弟弟。
不及物用法，后接about/over，表示因某事而烦恼。
He vexes about trivial matters.
他为琐事烦恼。
形式主语句型，that从句为真正主语。
It vexes me that he is always late.
他老是迟到让我很恼火。
Not this
I am vex about the delay.
Use this
I am vexed at the delay.
动词 vex 常以过去分词形式作形容词表状态，而非原形；介词搭配常用 at 表示对某事的恼怒。
Not this
This problem vexes a lot.
Use this
This problem vexes me a lot.
vex 作及物动词时需接宾语；物作主语时若用主动形式，必须明确被影响的宾语，否则应使用被动或现在分词结构。
Focus on the distinctions below. Other candidates are kept compact until a reliable usage note is available.
棘手的问题；难题
Whether to raise taxes remains a vexed question.
是否增税仍是一个棘手的问题。
令人烦恼的问题
Traffic congestion is a vexing problem for many cities.
交通拥堵是许多城市令人烦恼的问题。
被…激怒；因…而烦恼
She was vexed by the constant noise from the street.
她被街上的持续噪音弄得心烦意乱。
恼怒的神情
He gave her a vexed look when she interrupted him.
她打断他时，他给了她一个恼怒的神情。
棘手的问题；争论不休的问题
The vexed question of immigration policy has divided the country for decades.
移民政策这个棘手的问题已使这个国家分裂了几十年。
不要惊扰他的亡魂：哦，让他去吧！
In Shakespeare's King Lear, Kent says "Vex not his ghost" as Lear dies, urging everyone not to trouble the king's spirit.
在莎士比亚的《李尔王》中，李尔临终时肯特说“不要惊扰他的亡魂”，恳求大家不要打扰国王的灵魂。
二十个世纪的石头般的沉睡，被一个摇晃的摇篮搅扰成了噩梦。
In Yeats's poem “The Second Coming,” the phrase “were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle” vividly describes a new age disturbing an old, stagnant order.
在叶芝的诗《第二次降临》中，“被一个摇晃的摇篮搅扰成噩梦”生动地描述了一个新时代扰乱了旧有停滞秩序。
Use vex naturally, then get feedback on meaning, tone, grammar, and phrasing.
Revisit a common error or keep this word in your review list.
记忆联想：vex 里的 x 像红叉，看到红叉就恼火。
语域：formal 常见场景：formal writing、literary texts、academic discussions 这个词通常用于正式或文学语境，表示“使烦恼”或“使恼火”。在日常口语中比较少见，多见于书面语或文学作品。
All listed words end with /ɛks/ and rhyme with vex. Be careful: wax /wæks/, vax /væks/, and vox /vɒks/ look similar but have different vowels; they do not rhyme.
Dictionary facts from ECDICT, WIKTIONARY.