vexing

adjective
vex·​ing | \ ˈvek-siŋ How to pronounce vexing (audio) \

Definition of vexing

: causing or likely to cause vexation : vexatious a vexing problem

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Other Words from vexing

vexingly adverb

Examples of vexing in a Sentence

the constantly changing schedule was somewhat vexing, but I coped

Recent Examples on the Web

The approach has been tried with a variety of other marine animals, such as shrimp, salmon and tilapia, but octopuses have remained a stubbornly vexing puzzle. Tik Root, Time, "Inside the Race to Build the World's First Commercial Octopus Farm," 21 Aug. 2019 And looming over it for the new prime minister is the vexing problem of President Trump. Steven Erlanger, BostonGlobe.com, "Boris Johnson needs help from Trump, but not too much," 21 Aug. 2019 Getting fans to campus for 11 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. kickoffs — and all those in between — is one of the most vexing issues for athletic directors and campus officials. Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, "The Pac-12 considers 9 a.m. kickoffs: Examining the impact on attendance," 29 July 2019 The most vexing issue of the peace deal, the physical demarcation of the border, appears to have been kicked into the long grass. The Economist, "Eritrea’s gulag state is crumbling," 11 July 2019 In addition to providing an independent check, Freedman’s method may also sidestep some vexing problems associated with other common standard candles. Leila Sloman, Scientific American, "Hubble Tension Headache: Clashing Measurements Make the Universe's Expansion a Lingering Mystery," 29 July 2019 The vexing question then becomes: How do quantum probabilities coalesce into the sharp focus of the classical world? Quanta Magazine, "Quantum Darwinism, an Idea to Explain Objective Reality, Passes First Tests," 22 July 2019 People living out of their vehicles has become an increasingly vexing issue in San Francisco, accounting for much of the city’s 17% rise in its homeless population since 2017. Trisha Thadani, SFChronicle.com, "Proposed ‘safe’ parking lot upsets some residents, pleases others," 20 July 2019 At first, Contessa breathed a sigh of relief at the diagnosis, which seemed to explain King’s poor academic performance and many of his vexing behavioral problems. Leila Atassi, cleveland.com, "Could the Lawrence School be King Korper’s key to overcoming dyslexia?: A Greater Cleveland," 17 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'vexing.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of vexing

1569, in the meaning defined above

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