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

But instead, the young bride was wandering the streets of London in the June heat, frustrated and distraught. —Moira Donegan, New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2026

One thing video games can do that other media forms cannot is give the reader the opportunity to try, fail, feel frustrated, and then try again. —Literary Hub, 13 Mar. 2026

When do the cries of frustrated teachers and tens of thousands of children going without school instruction amount to a state crisis? —Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 12 Mar. 2026

That was perhaps Trump’s most effective issue in the 2024 presidential campaign, as voters grew frustrated with the stubborn inflation that permeated Joe Biden’s presidency. —Jonathan Lemire, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 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