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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

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.

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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.

Everton were in position to reach Europe with a few weeks of the season to go, but a late collapse left supporters very frustrated with manager David Moyes and his players.

From BBC • May 25, 2026

O’Hoppe is a New York Rangers fan and gets frustrated when his team struggles, but he said he reminds himself that “we’re all humans.”

From Los Angeles Times • May 25, 2026

Both Barrett and Kavanaugh seem frustrated with that approach during arguments.

From Slate • May 23, 2026

Today, they’re deeply frustrated with the results as the gaming industry stagnates and consumers face higher prices on everything from memory to storage drives and graphics cards.

From MarketWatch • May 23, 2026

As the junta continued to rule with an iron fist, Farmer became increasingly frustrated and angry.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French

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