frustrating

adjective

frus·​trat·​ing ˈfrə-ˌstrā-tiŋ How to pronounce frustrating (audio)
Synonyms of frustratingnext
: causing feelings of anger and annoyance : tending to produce or characterized by frustration
a frustrating delay
a very frustrating experience
Mischel concludes that having the willpower to wait isn't about being stoic. It's about learning techniques that make waiting less frustrating.Pamela Druckerman
frustratingly adverb
a frustratingly slow process
The book is sprawling and self-indulgent. Most frustratingly, it is almost entirely devoid of serious military analysis. Hew Strachan

Examples of frustrating in a Sentence

All these delays have been very frustrating. these daily traffic jams are frustrating
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
No one is going to blame this loss on Mitchell, or really anything that’s gone wrong for the Cavs during this frustrating first two months on him. Joe Vardon, New York Times, 25 Dec. 2025 In the six months since the state’s workforce convinced Newsom to postpone his unpopular return-to-office order, some departments have quietly changed some employees’ telework conditions, frustrating those who are now required to be in the office more than twice a week. William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 23 Dec. 2025 Early in Armas’ tenure, success out wide usually resulted in good chances through Kévin Cabral and Calvin Harris, but after Cabral departed midway through 2025, the attack narrowed to the point of frustrating inefficiency. Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 23 Dec. 2025 Jackson acknowledged his poor injury luck has been frustrating. Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 23 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for frustrating

Word History

First Known Use

1837, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of frustrating was in 1837

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Frustrating.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frustrating. Accessed 31 Dec. 2025.

Kids Definition

frustrating

adjective
: producing frustration
a frustrating delay
frustratingly adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on frustrating

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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