Question

tears rose in the poor boys eyes, but he repressed them like a man, that he might not vex us still more. in the sentence above, vex has the same or almost the same meaning as: peruse malign reprove worry

Explanation:

In the context of the sentence, "wear" is used metaphorically. The boy is trying not to show his tears (by repressing them) so as not to make others feel more concerned or troubled. "Worry" means to feel troubled or anxious, which fits the context. "Pervade" means to spread through, "malign" means to speak evil of, and "reprove" means to scold. None of these fit the context as well as "worry".

Answer:

worry