And I give my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I have known that even this is vexation of spirit; for, in abundance of wisdom is abundance of sadness, and he who addeth knowledge addeth pain.
Source: tatoeba (2511589)
Vexation
/vɛkˈseɪʃn̩/
Synonyms for "vexation" (167 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (34)
Noun(6 words)
abominationafflictionaggravationagitationall oversall-oversangerangstannoyanceanxietyanxiety hysteriaanxiety neurosisanxious benchanxious concernanxious seatanxiousnessapprehensionapprehensivenessatrocitybad
Show 8 more words
Strong matches (50)
botherbotherationbotheringbothersomenessbugbearburdencalamitycankerworm of carecarecommotionconcernconcernmentcorruptioncrashing borecrushing burdencrying evilcursedamagedeathdefilement
Noun(6 words)
Related words (83)
fly in the ointmentforebodingforebodingnessgallgrievanceharassmentharmharryinghavocheadachehoundinghurtillindignationinfectioninflictioninjuryinquietudeirkingirritation
Show 57 more words
malaisemischiefmisgivingmolestationnemesisnervous strainnervous tensionnervousnessnuisanceopen woundoutrageoveranxietypainpain in the neckpersecutionperturbationpestpestilencepins and needlespiqueplaguepoisonpollutionpressureproblemprovocationprovokingpuckerresentfulnessresentmentrunning sorescourgesnake in the grasssolicitudestewstrainsuspensetensionthe worstthorntormenttoxintrialtroubleumbrageuneasinessunquietnessupsetvenomvexatiousnessvexingvisitationwoeworrimentworrywrongzeal
Noun(5 words)
Verb(1 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: annoyance, irritation, abomination, affliction, aggravation.
- Sentence evidence is available for vexation, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "vexation".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "vexation"
Keep "vexation" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "vexation" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "vexation", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "vexation" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
13 entriesangercholerdifficultyemotional statefeelingiremental conditionmental statemistreatmentnegative stimulusproblempsychological conditionpsychological state
More specific
6 entriesCollocations
5 entriesgreat vexationpersistent vexationsense of vexationvexation among researchersvexation and irritation
Inflections
1 entriesDerivations
4 entriesTranslations
56 translations across 22 languages.
Ancient Greek
2 entries- ἀγανάκτησις noun (state of being vexed, annoyed, or irritated; an instance of this — see also annoyance, irritation)
- ἀχθηδών noun (action of vexing, annoying, or irritating someone or something; an instance of this)
Bulgarian
2 entries- дразнене noun (action of vexing, annoying, or irritating someone or something; an instance of this)
- раздразнение noun (state of being vexed, annoyed, or irritated; an instance of this — see also annoyance, irritation)
Catalan
1 entries- vexació noun (action of vexing, annoying, or irritating someone or something; an instance of this)
Czech
2 entries- otrava noun (state of being vexed, annoyed, or irritated; an instance of this — see also annoyance, irritation)
- otravování noun (action of vexing, annoying, or irritating someone or something; an instance of this)
Dutch
1 entries- ergernis noun (action of vexing, annoying, or irritating someone or something; an instance of this)
Finnish
4 entries- harmitus noun (state of being vexed, annoyed, or irritated; an instance of this — see also annoyance, irritation)
- keljutus noun (state of being vexed, annoyed, or irritated; an instance of this — see also annoyance, irritation)
- kenkutus noun (state of being vexed, annoyed, or irritated; an instance of this — see also annoyance, irritation)
- ärsyttäminen noun (action of vexing, annoying, or irritating someone or something; an instance of this)
French
3 entries- contrariété noun (state of being vexed, annoyed, or irritated; an instance of this — see also annoyance, irritation)
- tracas noun (action of vexing, annoying, or irritating someone or something; an instance of this)
- tracasserie noun (action of vexing, annoying, or irritating someone or something; an instance of this)
Galician
2 entries- vexación noun (action of vexing, annoying, or irritating someone or something; an instance of this)
- vexación noun (state of being vexed, annoyed, or irritated; an instance of this — see also annoyance, irritation)
Georgian
2 entries- გაღიზიანება noun (action of vexing, annoying, or irritating someone or something; an instance of this)
- გაღიზიანება noun (state of being vexed, annoyed, or irritated; an instance of this — see also annoyance, irritation)
German
4 entries- Belästigung noun (action of vexing, annoying, or irritating someone or something; an instance of this)
- Beunruhigung noun (action of vexing, annoying, or irritating someone or something; an instance of this)
- Beunruhigung noun (state of being vexed, annoyed, or irritated; an instance of this — see also annoyance, irritation)
- Irritation noun (action of vexing, annoying, or irritating someone or something; an instance of this)
Italian
1 entries- vessazione noun (action of vexing, annoying, or irritating someone or something; an instance of this)
Latin
2 entries- vexātiō noun (action of vexing, annoying, or irritating someone or something; an instance of this)
- vexātiō noun (state of being vexed, annoyed, or irritated; an instance of this — see also annoyance, irritation)
Macedonian
4 entries- дразнење noun (action of vexing, annoying, or irritating someone or something; an instance of this)
- надразнетост noun (state of being vexed, annoyed, or irritated; an instance of this — see also annoyance, irritation)
- нервирање noun (action of vexing, annoying, or irritating someone or something; an instance of this)
- раздразнување noun (state of being vexed, annoyed, or irritated; an instance of this — see also annoyance, irritation)
Māori
1 entries- whanowhanoā noun (state of being vexed, annoyed, or irritated; an instance of this — see also annoyance, irritation)
Portuguese
2 entries- vexação noun (action of vexing, annoying, or irritating someone or something; an instance of this)
- vexação noun (state of being vexed, annoyed, or irritated; an instance of this — see also annoyance, irritation)
Romanian
2 entries- vexare noun (action of vexing, annoying, or irritating someone or something; an instance of this)
- vexațiune noun (action of vexing, annoying, or irritating someone or something; an instance of this)
Russian
1 entries- раздражение noun (state of being vexed, annoyed, or irritated; an instance of this — see also annoyance, irritation)
Scottish Gaelic
3 entries- mì-shuaimhneas noun (state of being vexed, annoyed, or irritated; an instance of this — see also annoyance, irritation)
- sàrachadh noun (action of vexing, annoying, or irritating someone or something; an instance of this)
- sàrachadh noun (state of being vexed, annoyed, or irritated; an instance of this — see also annoyance, irritation)
Spanish
2 entries- vejación noun (action of vexing, annoying, or irritating someone or something; an instance of this)
- vejación noun (state of being vexed, annoyed, or irritated; an instance of this — see also annoyance, irritation)
Swedish
2 entries- förargelse noun (state of being vexed, annoyed, or irritated; an instance of this — see also annoyance, irritation)
- förtret noun (state of being vexed, annoyed, or irritated; an instance of this — see also annoyance, irritation)
Tocharian B
1 entries- krāso noun (state of being vexed, annoyed, or irritated; an instance of this — see also annoyance, irritation)
Ukrainian
1 entries- роздратува́ння noun (state of being vexed, annoyed, or irritated; an instance of this — see also annoyance, irritation)
Sample sentences
23 total sentences available.
Tom's vexation was evident.
Source: tatoeba (11078871)
Free yourself of sadness, vexation, and fear!
Source: tatoeba (12300552)
[…] I mourne in my prayer, and make a noiſe, / For the voyce of the enemie, & for the vexation of the vvicked, becauſe they haue broght iniquitie vpon me, & furiouſly hate me.
Source: wiktionary
Showing 4 of 23 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "vexation"?
Closest matches include annoyance, irritation, abomination, affliction, aggravation.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "vexation"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.