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Curse vs Vex - What's the difference?

curse | vex | Synonyms |

In transitive terms the difference between curse and vex

is that curse is to speak or shout a vulgar curse or epithet while vex is to toss back and forth; to agitate; to disquiet.

curse

English

Noun

(wikipedia curse) (en noun)
  • A supernatural detriment or hindrance; a bane.
  • A prayer or imprecation that harm may befall someone.
  • The cause of great harm, evil, or misfortune; that which brings evil or severe affliction; torment.
  • * Shakespeare
    • The common curse of mankind, folly and ignorance.
  • A vulgar epithet.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-14, author= Sam Leith
    • , volume=189, issue=1, page=37, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly) , title= Where the profound meets the profane , passage=Swearing doesn't just mean what we now understand by "dirty words". It is entwined, in social and linguistic history, with the other sort of swearing: vows and oaths. Consider for a moment the origins of almost any word we have for bad language – "profanity", "curses ", "oaths" and "swearing" itself.}}
  • (slang) A woman's menses.

    • Derived terms

    * curse of Scotland

    Verb

  • (lb) To place a curse upon (a person or object).
  • *
  • *:Captain Edward Carlisle; he could not tell what this prisoner might do. He cursed' the fate which had assigned such a duty, ' cursed especially that fate which forced a gallant soldier to meet so superb a woman as this under handicap so hard.
  • To call upon divine or supernatural power to send injury upon; to imprecate evil upon; to execrate.
  • *Bible, (w) xxii. 28
  • *:Thou shalt notcurse the ruler of thy people.
  • (lb) To speak or shout a vulgar curse or epithet.
  • (lb) To use offensive or morally inappropriate language.
  • *Bible, (w) xxi. 74
  • *:Then began he to curse and to swear.
  • *(William Shakespeare) (1564-1616)
  • *:His spirits hear me, / And yet I need must curse .
  • To bring great evil upon; to be the cause of serious harm or unhappiness to; to furnish with that which will be a cause of deep trouble; to afflict or injure grievously; to harass or torment.
  • *(Alexander Pope) (1688-1744)
  • *:On impious realms and barbarous kings impose / Thy plagues, and curse 'em with such sons as those.

    • Synonyms

    * (sense) swear

    Antonyms

    * bless

    Anagrams

    * * * ----

    vex

    English

    Verb

    (es)
  • To trouble aggressively, to harass.
  • * 1526 , (William Tyndale), trans. Bible , Acts XII:
    • In that tyme Herode the kynge layed hondes on certayne of the congregacion, to vexe them.
  • To annoy, irritate.
    • Billy's professor was vexed by his continued failure to improve his grades.
  • To cause (mental) suffering to; to distress.
  • (rare) To twist, to weave.
  • * Dryden
    • some English wool, vexed in a Belgian loom
  • (obsolete) To be irritated; to fret.
    • (Chapman)
  • To toss back and forth; to agitate; to disquiet.
  • * Alexander Pope
    • White curl the waves, and the vexed ocean roars.

    Quotations

    * (English Citations of "vex")

    Synonyms

    * (to annoy) agitate, irritate * (to cause mental suffering) afflict, torment

    Derived terms

    * vexed * vexer * vexingly * vexation * vexatious