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 of frustrating

• annoying
• irritating
• disturbing

Examples of frustrating in a Sentence

All these delays have been very frustrating.

these daily traffic jams are frustrating

Recent Examples on the Web

Instead, the first half has been defined by a frustrating lack of power, inconsistent production and a club that has struggled to keep pace in the American League playoff race. — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026

At the time, Kirpalani was suffering from frustrating chronic health conditions such as hair loss, food allergies, cystic acne, fatigue, and digestive disorders. — Karen Billing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 July 2026

The situation is avoidable and frustrating, said Jory Lange, a Texas attorney who represents over 50 people who were affected by an outbreak last year that killed seven people and sickened over 100 in New York’s Harlem neighborhood. — ABC News, 21 July 2026

Kia’s system is one of the less frustrating OEM offerings and also offers Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, where most people will spend most of their time. — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 21 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1837, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for frustrating

• abating
• awaiting
• berating
• castrating
• chelating
• collating
• conflating
• creating
• debating
• deflating
• derating
• dictating

Kids Definition

frustrating

adjective

: producing frustration

a frustrating delay

frustratingly adverb