frustrating

adjective

frus·​trat·​ing ˈfrə-ˌstrā-tiŋ 

: 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

Synonyms

• abrasive
• aggravating
• annoying
• bothersome
• carking
• chafing
• disturbing
• exasperating
• galling
• irksome
• irritating
• maddening
• nettlesome
• nettling
• peeving
• pesky
• pestiferous
• pestilent
• pestilential
• pesty
• plaguey
• plaguy
• rankling
• rebarbative
• riling
• vexatious
• vexing

Examples of frustrating in a Sentence

All these delays have been very frustrating.

these daily traffic jams are frustrating

Recent Examples on the Web

Kody quickly came to Robyn’s defense, further frustrating Janelle. —Liza Esquibias, People.com, 4 Nov. 2024

Not all of these ideas will pan out, but if any do, the next few years could bring an inflection point in treating some of the most frustrating and intractable diseases of our modern era. —Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2024

Volunteers waited hours only to be turned away, frustrating many. —Atika Shubert, CNN, 3 Nov. 2024

Election officials were prepared to fight misinformation this election after Trump’s fervent efforts to dispute the outcome of the 2020 Presidential race, but the sheer volume of online misinformation—and lack of tech to combat it—has proved frustrating for some. —Alena Botros, Fortune, 1 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1871, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

frustrating

adjective

: producing frustration

a frustrating delay

frustratingly adverb