vexation

[vek-sey-shuhn]

noun

1. the act of vexing.

2. the state of being vexed; vexed; irritation; annoyance.

   vexation at missing the bus.

3. something that vexes; a cause of annoyance; nuisance.

   Rush-hour traffic is a daily vexation.

vexation

/ vɛkˈseɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of vexing or the state of being vexed

2. something that vexes

Other Word Forms

• self-vexation noun
• supervexation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of vexation¹

1350–1400; Middle English vexacioun < Latin vexātiōn- (stem of vexātiō ), equivalent to vexāt ( us ) (past participle of vexāre to vex; -ate ¹ ) + -iōn- -ion

Example Sentences

When violence erupted on 3 August - fuelled by misinformation - following the fatal stabbing of three young girls at a dance class in Southport, fear and vexation gripped communities.

From BBC

As for the state’s notoriously prolonged vote-counting process, it may be a source of vexation.

From Los Angeles Times

Her vexation then turns into humiliation and shame, then to debilitating depression.

From Salon

He can’t tell if Romy’s vexation is genuine or just another part of their game, and tries to figure it out with a command.

From Salon

Strange, too, that so few books deal substantively with a near-universal vexation, by which I mean the tax system.

From New York Times