frustrating

adjective

frus·​trat·​ing ˈfrə-ˌstrā-tiŋ How to pronounce frustrating (audio)
: 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 Geek’s Guide to the Galaxy host David Barr Kirtley was disappointed that Netflix would end the show in such a frustrating way. Geek's Guide To The Galaxy, WIRED, 8 Mar. 2024 Famously, Brokeback Mountain lost out on Best Picture to Crash, still widely considered one of the biggest, most frustrating Oscar upsets of all time. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 7 Mar. 2024 Being disrupted from your work 19 times a day must be very frustrating. Lawrence Hodge / Jalopnik, Quartz, 6 Mar. 2024 No one really knows why each one develops (frustrating, right?!), but some experts believe that genes or exposure to viruses or bacteria might be to blame. Sarah Klein, SELF, 5 Mar. 2024 The Kings’ win over the Timberwolves came after a frustrating loss Wednesday in Denver, where they were outscored by 35 points in the second and third quarters. Chris Biderman, Sacramento Bee, 2 Mar. 2024 And yet, hidden behind these boomy-economic indicators, a frustrating reality persists: Life is far too expensive for far too many. Matt Egan, CNN, 2 Mar. 2024 All signs point to another frustrating season at the Coliseum. Jason Mastrodonato, The Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2024 Learning the dodges is doable in some fights, if not still unfun, but the insta-death dungeons are deeply frustrating. Paul Tassi, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'frustrating.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1871, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of frustrating was in 1871

Dictionary Entries Near frustrating

Cite this Entry

“Frustrating.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frustrating. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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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