frustration

American  

[fruh-strey-shuhn] / frʌˈstreɪ ʃən /

noun

• frustrations
  plural

1. act of frustrating; state of being frustrated.

   the frustration of the president's efforts.

2. an instance of being frustrated.

   to experience a series of frustrations before completing a project.

3. something that frustrates, as an unresolved problem.

4. a feeling of dissatisfaction, often accompanied by anxiety or depression, resulting from unfulfilled needs or unresolved problems.

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frustration British  

/ frʌˈstreɪʃən /

noun

1. the condition of being frustrated

2. something that frustrates

3. psychol

   1. the prevention or hindering of a potentially satisfying activity

   2. the emotional reaction to such prevention that may involve aggression

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonfrustration
  noun
• overfrustration
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• frustrations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of frustration

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English frustracioun, from Latin frustrātiōn-, stem of frustrātiō “deception, disappointment”; equivalent to frustrate + -ion

Explanation

Frustration is a feeling of annoyance that occurs when something doesn't go as you expect. There are few things more likely to cause frustration for an impatient driver than rush hour traffic. When you can't get what you want, or you're stuck in some way, you'll experience frustration. A spelling bee competitor who almost wins will feel frustration. The thing that causes you to feel this way can also be called a frustration — like your moody sister, the frustration of your home life. Frustration comes from the Latin frustrationem, "a deception or a disappointment."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

frustration frustrations

He expressed frustration with a perceived lag in the arrival of aid while the nation celebrated Independence Day with pomp and ceremony in the capital Jakarta.

From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026

Sonders: There is no cookie-cutter answer for all investors, and that frustration I have with cookie-cutter answers is worth explaining.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 17, 2026

Instead, the brash phenom who once compared himself to Mike Trout spent half a decade toiling in the minors, a difficult stretch filled with disappointment, frustration and a boatload of strikeouts.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026

If there is a note of frustration in her, it surfaces around the question of who gets to write at all.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

Simon poked at the rising bread loaves in frustration.

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood

Flight delays, interminable waits on the tarmac—Booking.com CEO Glenn Fogel knows all about travel frustrations firsthand: “You can’t believe you even bothered.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

But John knows he doesn’t have the luxury to reveal his frustrations.

From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026

Parsons explained that the extra cost was being reinvested back into the stadium to increase the fan experience but said he appreciated people's frustrations.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

Harris-Dawson, who did not attend the meeting, responded to the community’s frustrations in an email to The LA Local.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026

The endless convolutions and frustrations of my previous dealings with the Erhenrang Government were melted away like an ice-pack in a flooding river.

From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin

Related Words

• annoyance
• dissatisfaction
• failure
• grievance
• irritation
• resentment