Vexatious — A Vocabulary Story
The vexatious dragon of Willowmere
In the ancient kingdom of Willowmere, where silver birches whispered secrets to the wind, there lived a dragon named Cornelius who possessed neither fearsome claws nor scorching flames. His talent was far more peculiar: he was vexatious.
Vexatious means causing or tending to cause annoyance, frustration, or worry. It also means troublesome.
Indeed, Cornelius was utterly troublesome.
Cornelius dwelt in a cave overlooking the village, and each morning he would descend to practise his craft. He would rearrange the cobblestones so villagers tripped over them. He would tie shoelaces together when folk weren't looking. He would hide the baker's measuring spoons and replace the town crier's bell with a squeaky rubber duck.
The villagers grew weary of his vexatious antics. The blacksmith, a patient woman named Saanvi, finally climbed the mountain to confront him.
"Why do you plague us so?" she demanded.
Cornelius hung his head, smoke puffing sadly from his nostrils. "I cannot breathe fire or fly majestically. The other dragons mock me. At least being vexatious makes me... memorable."
Saanvi considered this. "You seek purpose through frustration. But have you considered channelling your particular talents differently?"
She proposed an idea most ingenious. Cornelius would become the kingdom's official Problem Dragon, testing new inventions for weaknesses. If a bridge could withstand his vexatious tampering, it could withstand anything. If a lock resisted his mischief, it was truly secure.
Soon, engineers and inventors travelled from distant lands, seeking Cornelius's troublesome expertise. He tested castle defences, examined clockwork mechanisms, and discovered flaws in architectural designs — all through his natural inclination for causing bother.
The once-vexatious dragon had found his calling. He still caused annoyance and worry, but now it served a noble purpose. And though he never breathed fire, Cornelius became the most celebrated dragon in all of Willowmere.
Word Definition
vexatious
meaning
causing or tending to cause annoyance, frustration, or worry; troublesome
synonyms
irritating · disturbing · aggravating · irksome · pesky
antonyms
delightful · pleasing · soothing
example sentence
The vexatious delays in the project frustrated the entire team.