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

• abrasive
• aggravating
• annoying
• bothersome
• carking
• chafing
• disturbing
• exasperating
• galling
• irksome
• irritating
• maddening
• nettlesome
• nettling
• peeving
• pesky
• pestiferous
• pestilent
• pestilential
• pesty
• plaguey
• plaguy
• rankling
• rebarbative
• riling
• vexatious
• vexing

Examples of frustrating in a Sentence

All these delays have been very frustrating.

these daily traffic jams are frustrating

Recent Examples on the Web

For Dennings, one of the most frustrating things is how little migraines are discussed. —Sandra Rose Salathe, Flow Space, 24 Oct. 2024

Competitors: Emerson Electric , RTX , 3M Weight in portfolio: 3.14% Most recent buy: April 10, 2024 Initiated: July 5, 2020 Honeywell has proven to be a frustrating holding. —Jim Cramer, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2024

Companies that rely on too many point solutions often struggle to create a cohesive workflow, frustrating users and leading to lower satisfaction and retention rates. —Amanda Whiteside, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024

Judicial races were among the frustrating parts of the democratic process our readers mentioned in our citizens agenda survey or in follow-up emails. —Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1871, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

frustrating

adjective

: producing frustration

a frustrating delay

frustratingly adverb