Words, like hemlines, tend to fade in and out of fashion. Some words, such as holpen, an archaic past participle of the word help, are best left in lexicography’s dumpster. There are others though, that still have a lot of good usage left in them. I am embarking upon a personal mission to bring the word VEX back into everyday use.
Kicking around since the fifteenth century vex comes from the Latin vexare meaning to agitate or harry. To be vexed is to be irritated, agitated, puzzled, or provoked by the behavior of others. It can also mean to shake or toss about. Like it in a sentence? I am positively vexed that the word vex is so rarely used anymore.
Just saying the word feels good. Go on try it, I’ll wait. You start off with that yummy buzzy v and then slide into a creamy eee going into the stop plosive k sound and winding up on an ssssssssssssss. For a little word you get a lot of bang for your phonetic buck. Looking for more wordy fun? Try rolling vex’s variations around on your tongue. Vexation…vexatious…vexatiousness…vexedly…could be hours of endless fun for the whole family.
So go forth and use this word with abandon today. Extra bonus points if you let us know how and where you used it!
