frustrated

1 of 2

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

frustrated

2 of 2

past tense and past participle of frustrate entry 1

Examples of frustrated in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The 22-year-old was visibly frustrated and began to yell at his teammates. — Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2026

Gen Z has become decidedly frustrated with the often prohibitive costs of higher education. — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2026

On the other side of that, there can be some negative talk too, some frustrated fans who think other contestants should still be there. — Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026

Charlie Heaton makes an impression as Wade, Calvin’s chipper but deeply frustrated failson. — Sean T. Collins, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

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