Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing Results for "frustrated"
See Also:
Synonyms

frustrated

American  
[fruhs-trey-tid] / ˈfrʌs treɪ tɪd /

adjective

  1. disappointed; thwarted.

    an announcer who was a frustrated actor.

  2. having a feeling of or filled with frustration; dissatisfied.

    His unresolved difficulty left him absolutely frustrated.


frustrated British  
/ frʌˈstreɪtɪd /

adjective

  1. having feelings of dissatisfaction or lack of fulfilment

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Etymology

Origin of frustrated

First recorded in 1635–45; frustrate + -ed 2

Explanation

Frustrated is an adjective that describes feeling disappointed and unsuccessful. If you try to fix your car for hours and hours but it still won't work, you will feel frustrated. People become frustrated when they fail to achieve their goals, both large and small. If you are constantly frustrated, it can build up into anger or bitterness. People sometimes need to vent, or express themselves, when they are very frustrated, in order to let it go. But if you can't shake that frustrated feeling, maybe a change is in order — a new job, different friends, maybe even a cat to remind you that calm is good.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing frustrated

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Frustrated by traffic, Musk founded The Boring Company in 2016, initially as a SpaceX subsidiary, with grand promises of transforming urban transportation through a network of underground tunnels.

From Barron's • May 20, 2026

Frustrated fan, Manchster: Even more ridiculous explanation saying handball being accidental.

From BBC • May 17, 2026

Frustrated by lack of city attention, an L.A. homeowner hired her housekeeper to help clean the neighborhood.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 27, 2026

Frustrated passengers are signing up for Clear’s fast-lane service in droves—and driving up its share price.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

Frustrated, Otto closed his notebook and pushed onto his knees, staring Sheed down.

From "The Last Last-Day-of-Summer" by Lamar Giles

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Look it up. Learn it forever.

Remember "frustrated" for good with VocabTrainer. Expand your vocabulary effortlessly with personalized learning tools that adapt to your goals.

Take me to Vocabulary.com