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

At a time when air travel can often feel routine if not outright frustrating, inaugural flights can be reminiscent of an era where every trip was more of a special event. —Zach Wichter, USA Today, 10 May 2026

Meanwhile, Madrid’s two Englishmen were having frustrating evenings. —Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 10 May 2026

Understanding why noise happens and how to avoid it can make the difference between a relaxing trip and a frustrating one. —David Nikel, Forbes.com, 10 May 2026

LeBeau, who lives seven minutes from Honda Center in the Floral Park neighborhood of Santa Ana, was among the fans who weathered several frustrating seasons. —Todd Harmonson, Oc Register, 9 May 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