vexation

/vekˈseɪʃn/ (bre, ipa) · /vekˈseɪʃn/ (ame, ipa) · /vek-ˈsā-shən How to pronounce vexation (audio)/ (ame, mw)

vexation — 名詞

  • vexationsingular
  • vexationsplural

1. the feeling of being annoyed, worried, or upset, especially when the cause is fr

1.名詞C1
釋義

煩惱；苦惱

感到煩躁或沮喪的狀態

the feeling of being annoyed, worried, or upset, especially when the cause is frustrating and you cannot easily change it

例句

Mei expressed her vexation when the airline lost her luggage twice in one month.

航空公司一個月內弄丟了 Mei 兩次行李，讓她大感不滿。

vexation at [someone/something] — expressing frustration toward a specific target

To his great vexation, the library closed before Javier could reach the front door.

令 Javier 十分苦惱的是，他還沒走到大門口，圖書館就已經關門了。

to [possessive] great vexation — formal phrase showing the person affected

同義詞
  • annoyance

    more common in everyday speech, less intense

  • irritation

    similar register but slightly milder

  • exasperation

    stronger; suggests complete loss of patience

  • frustration

    focuses on being prevented from achieving something

反義詞

文法句型

vexation at/about something

with/in vexation

用法筆記

Usually uncountable in this sense; the countable plural form (vexations) belongs to sense 2.

常見錯誤

❌I felt a vexation about the delay.
✅I felt vexation about the delay.
💡This sense is uncountable; do not use 'a vexation' to mean a feeling.

2. a person, thing, or situation that makes you feel annoyed, worried, or upset

2.名詞C1
釋義

煩惱事；困擾

令人心煩的人事物

a person, thing, or situation that makes you feel annoyed, worried, or upset

例句

Delayed trains were a daily vexation for commuters living in the suburbs outside the city.

火車誤點對住在郊區的通勤族來說是每天的困擾。

a daily vexation — something that annoys regularly

A broken smartphone is a major vexation when you depend on it for your whole business.

當你靠手機來經營整個事業時，手機壞了可是個大麻煩。

a major vexation — emphasises scale of the annoyance

同義詞
  • nuisance

    more informal; a minor annoyance

  • annoyance

    broader and more common; can refer to either feeling or cause

  • bother

    informal; suggests something that causes trouble or effort

  • trial

    formal; suggests something that tests your patience over a long period

反義詞
  • blessing

    something that brings happiness or benefit

  • comfort

    a person or thing that gives ease

文法句型

vexation of something

a/some vexation

用法筆記

Common with daily, constant, major, and little to describe how troublesome something is. Frequently appears in lists of problems (one vexation after another).

3. the act of deliberately annoying, troubling, or upsetting someone, often repeate

3.名詞C2
釋義

煩擾；為難

刻意使人困擾的行為

the act of deliberately annoying, troubling, or upsetting someone, often repeatedly or systematically

例句

The children's constant vexation of their elderly neighbour led to a formal complaint.

孩子們不斷煩擾年邁的鄰居，最後逼得鄰居的家屬正式投訴。

vexation of [someone] — pattern for indicating the target of the act

Shopkeepers saw the new parking rules as a deliberate vexation of small business owners.

店家認為這項新的停車規定是刻意為難小企業主。

deliberate vexation — intentional troubling

同義詞
  • harassment

    stronger and more common; implies persistent and often intimidating behaviour

  • troubling

    softer; less specific about intent

  • pestering

    informal; suggests repeated minor annoyances

反義詞

文法句型

vexation of someone

deliberate vexation

用法筆記

This sense is rare in modern everyday English. It appears most often in formal contexts such as legal complaints, historical writing, or discussions about ill-treatment. The related verb vex is more common.