frustration

American  

[fruh-strey-shuhn] / frʌˈstreɪ ʃən /

noun

1. act of frustrating; state of being frustrated: frustrated.

   the frustration of the president's efforts.

2. an instance of being frustrated: 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

• nonfrustration noun
• overfrustration noun

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

It spread countrywide the following day, fueled by longstanding frustration over corruption and economic hardship.

From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026

Those results sparked frustration among fans, while further scrutiny followed comments involving vice‑captain Fernandez and defender Marc Cucurella, who publicly criticised the club's transfer policy.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

To add to frustration, some logging on during their time slots last week were booted off and routed to a webpage showing an “Access Denied” message.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

Block Communications issued a statement soon after, saying John Robinson “expressed his frustration to the newsroom staff about several issues of concern to him.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

Samir exhaled his frustration and lay his heavy palm on my head, a gentle smothering.

From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri

Related Words

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