The word “vexed” in literature spans a spectrum of emotional nuance, often signifying anything from a momentary irritation to a deeper internal turmoil. Writers use it to portray characters caught in fleeting moments of annoyance, whether reacting to trivial mishaps or to more significant discontents [1][2][3]. In other instances, the term is imbued with broader existential or philosophical implications, as characters are depicted as vexed by fate, inconsistency, or even their own self-reproach [4][5][6]. Furthermore, “vexed” sometimes enriches the narrative atmosphere by lending a subtle irony or emphasizing the gravity of a perplexing issue, thus heightening the reader’s sense of the character’s inner conflict or societal disquiet [7][8][9]. Even outside the realm of human emotion, objects and symbolic elements are occasionally described as “vexed,” demonstrating the term’s versatility in conveying a state in which something is disturbed or unsettled [10][11].