To annoy is to disturb or bother a person in a way that displeases, troubles, or slightly irritates them. This verb is usually used in discussion of minor offenses, such as noises that repeatedly interrupt one’s focus or behavior that tries one’s patience. Vex is a more pointed term, suggesting a greater degree of irritation or frustration and sometimes even distress or worry. This versatile verb is also used to talk about problems or questions that, in their complexity or difficulty, confound or perplex.

The verbs win and prevail both deal with claiming victory, but in different arenas. Win is more likely to be found in a literal arena, as in the case of a sporting event where one team will overcome an adversary to win a game (go, team!). Prevail is commonly found in discussions of struggles or battles where the winner is not a team, but an idea such as morality, justice, or truth. It’s also used in the common expression cooler heads prevail, which is used (usually in a hopeful or relieved manner) to mean that more calm, rational voices will or did win out over fiery, irrational ones.

The adjective rowdy describes things that are disorderly and noisy or disruptive, often groups of people gathered together for an event (a rowdy crowd at a game) or the gathering itself (a rowdy celebration). It can suggest roughness or boisterous fun, depending on the context. The adjective rambunctious conveys a similar active noisiness, but it skews younger, more commonly describing children or even young pets that are wildly boisterous and, thus, difficult to handle. But whatever difficulty this adjective suggests is usually couched in affection for the unrestrained energy of youth.