vexation

/vɛkˈseɪʃn̩/

//vɛkˈseɪʃn̩// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"vexation" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“vexation” is an uncommon English word, ranked #97,682 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#97,682
frequency rank, English
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The action of vexing, annoying, or irritating someone or something; (countable) an instance of this.

Key facts for vexation
PropertyValue
Headwordvexation
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/vɛkˈseɪʃn̩/
Letters8
Frequency rank#97,682
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “vexation” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). vexation lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for vexation is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /vɛkˈseɪʃn̩/. Corpus data places it at rank #97,682 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for vexation, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Late Middle English vexacioun, vexation (“physical suffering; act of inflicting trouble (specifically through unjustified legal action); anxiety, mental distress; mental disturbance”), from Anglo-Norman vexacion, vexation, Middle French vexacion, vexat… The correct English form is vexation, spelled V-E-X-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The action of vexing, annoying, or irritating someone or something; (countable) an instance of this.
  2. 2
    The action of vexing, annoying, or irritating someone or something; (countable) an instance of this.
  3. 3
    The action of vexing, annoying, or irritating someone or something; (countable) an instance of this.
  4. 4
    The state of being vexed, annoyed, or irritated; annoyance, irritation; also, disappointment, discontentment, unhappiness; (countable) an instance of this.
  5. 5
    The state of being vexed, annoyed, or irritated; annoyance, irritation; also, disappointment, discontentment, unhappiness; (countable) an instance of this.
  6. 6
    The state of being vexed, annoyed, or irritated; annoyance, irritation; also, disappointment, discontentment, unhappiness; (countable) an instance of this.
  7. 7
    A source of mental distress or trouble; an affliction, a woe; also, a source of annoyance or irritation; an annoyance, an irritant.
  8. 8
    The action of using force or violence on someone or something; (countable) an instance of this.

Etymology

From Late Middle English vexacioun, vexation (“physical suffering; act of inflicting trouble (specifically through unjustified legal action); anxiety, mental distress; mental disturbance”), from Anglo-Norman vexacion, vexation, Middle French vexacion, vexation (“distress, suffering; harassment (specifically through unjustified legal action)”), and Old French vexacion, vexation (“distress, suffering; harassment”) (modern French vexation), and from their etymon Latin vexātiō (“shaking or similar violent movement; (causing of) agitation, distress, suffering; harassment, persecution; trouble”), from vexātus + -iō (suffix forming abstract nouns from verbs). Vexātus is the perfect passive participle of vexō (“to shake or jolt violently; to annoy, harass; to persecute; to trouble violently”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *weǵʰ-. By surface analysis, vex + -ation (suffix denoting an action or process or its result, or a quality or state). Doublet of quake.

This word in other languages

vejación(Español)tracas(Français)Ärger(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "vexation"?
"vexation" is spelled V-E-X-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /vɛkˈseɪʃn̩/.
What does "vexation" mean?
As a noun, "vexation" means: The action of vexing, annoying, or irritating someone or something; (countable) an instance of this.
How do you pronounce "vexation"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "vexation" is /vɛkˈseɪʃn̩/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "vexation"?
From Late Middle English vexacioun, vexation (“physical suffering; act of inflicting trouble (specifically through unjustified legal action); anxiety, mental distress; mental disturbance”), from Anglo-Norman vexacion, vexation, Middle French vexac... See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “vexation”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is V-E-X-A-T-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /vɛkˈseɪʃn̩/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list