How Do You Spell VEXATIOUS?

Pronunciation: [vɛksˈe͡ɪʃəs] (IPA)

The spelling of the word "vexatious" can be confusing due to its unusual pronunciation. The IPA phonetic transcription for this word is /vekˈseɪʃəs/. The stress falls on the second syllable, and the "x" is pronounced as a "ks" sound. The "a" in the third syllable is pronounced as a schwa sound, which is an unstressed, neutral vowel. Despite its tricky spelling, "vexatious" is a useful word to describe something that is causing annoyance or frustration.

VEXATIOUS Meaning and Definition

  1. Vexatious is an adjective that refers to something that causes annoyance, frustration, or distress. It is used to describe actions, behavior, or situations that are deliberately or persistently intended to agitate or irritate a person.

    The term implies the deliberate nature of the annoyance caused, indicating that it is done with the intention of causing distress or frustration. Something vexatious is considered to be bothersome, aggravating, or burdensome, often resulting in feelings of anger or exasperation within the person affected.

    A vexatious person might engage in behavior such as taunting, provoking, or harassing others in order to upset or annoy them. Vexatious litigation refers to legal actions that are frivolous, excessive, or without merit, designed solely to harass or burden the opposing party. It is often considered an abuse of the legal system.

    The word vexatious can also be used to describe a situation or a problem that is persistent, difficult to resolve, or causes ongoing annoyance. For example, a vexatious issue can be a recurring problem that frustrates those involved. It denotes the repetitive nature of such problems and suggests that they are difficult to overcome or address satisfactorily.

    Overall, the term vexatious is used to convey the deliberate nature of annoyance or frustration caused, either through intentional actions or as a result of persistent and frustrating circumstances.

  2. Causing annoyance; teasing; full of trouble.

    Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.

Common Misspellings for VEXATIOUS

Etymology of VEXATIOUS

The word "vexatious" originated from the Latin term "vexare", which means "to annoy" or "to plague". In Latin, the word "vexatious" was derived from the verb "vexāre", combined with the suffix "-ius" to form the adjective "vexātius". Over time, the word was adopted into Old French as "vexacïous", and subsequently made its way into Middle English as "vexacious" in the 15th century. Eventually, the spelling evolved to its current form, "vexatious", which has been in use since the 16th century. The word "vexatious" retains its original meaning of causing annoyance, irritation, or trouble.

Similar spelling word for VEXATIOUS

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