frustrated

adjective

frus·​trat·​ed ˈfrə-ˌstrā-təd 

: feeling, showing, or characterized by frustration: such as

a

: feeling discouragement, anger, and annoyance because of unresolved problems or unfulfilled goals, desires, or needs

In fact Harry thought his behavior had been very good considering how frustrated and angry he felt at being stuck in Privet Drive this long …

—J. K. Rowling

b

: having an ambition that has not been realized

a frustrated actor [=a person who wants to be an actor but has not succeeded in becoming one]

Over the past decade, however, advances in digital printing technologies have brought the costs of publication down and paved the way for thousands of frustrated writers to get their work into print.

—Robert K. J. Killheffer

Examples of frustrated in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Thomas Tuchel’s side looked frustrated for about 55 minutes, with Lionel Mpasi making some great stops in goal. — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 11 July 2026

Unemployment remains above 30%, making migrants easy political targets for frustrated communities and opportunistic actors. — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 10 July 2026

Most frustrated of all are the people tasked with policing the takeovers. — Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 10 July 2026

However, many believe the team's long-term prospects hinge on owner Arte Moreno selling the franchise, a sentiment increasingly echoed by frustrated fans. — Dan Freedman, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1574, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for frustrated

• abated
• ablated
• awaited
• belated
• berated
• castrated
• chelated
• citrated
• collated
• conflated
• created
• curated

Medical Definition

frustrated

adjective

frus·​trat·​ed

: filled with a sense of frustration : feeling deep insecurity, discouragement, or dissatisfaction

learned not to resort to aggressiveness when frustrated

—Ashley Montagu