frustrating

adjective

frus·​trat·​ing ˈfrə-ˌstrā-tiŋ How to pronounce frustrating (audio)
Synonyms of frustratingnext
: 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

Examples of frustrating in a Sentence

All these delays have been very frustrating. these daily traffic jams are frustrating
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Rescue Barrier Balm When Associate Editor Katie Akin began dealing with frustrating dry patches this winter, First Aid Beauty's Ultra Repair Rescue Barrier Balm truly came to the rescue. Melanie Fincher, Southern Living, 6 Feb. 2026 Breaking your back cleaning your floors to be left with carpets that still don't smell fresh can be frustrating. Ashlyn Needham, The Spruce, 5 Feb. 2026 The 6-foot-3, 185-pound Arkansas transfer also had a career-high eight steals to go with 13 points, continuing a recent stretch of steady play, at times stellar, after a slow and frustrating start with his new team. Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Feb. 2026 What’s frustrating is that solutions already exist but are stuck in red tape. Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 5 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for frustrating

Word History

First Known Use

1837, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of frustrating was in 1837

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Frustrating.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frustrating. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.

Kids Definition

frustrating

adjective
: producing frustration
a frustrating delay
frustratingly adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on frustrating

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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