Meaning
Angry, cross, or upset — and, used as a verb, to make someone angry. It is the everyday Jamaican word for being vexed, from mild irritation to real fury depending on tone.
Senses
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adjective Angry, annoyed, or upset.
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Mi bex wid yuh right now.
I'm angry with you right now.
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She look bex.
She looks upset.
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verb To anger someone; to make them upset.
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Nuh bex mi dis mawnin.
Don't anger me this morning.
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It bex mi when dem late.
It annoys me when they're late.
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Origin
From English 'vex', with the 'v' hardened to 'b' — a common sound shift in Jamaican.
How it’s used
Extremely common. 'Bex up' intensifies it to thoroughly furious; 'nuh badda bex' means don't bother getting upset.
Gloss adapted from A Learner's Glossary of Jamaican, Open Grammar Project, licensed under CC BY 4.0. View the source work · CC BY 4.0