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
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.
North Carolina is on a bye in Week 7 after a frustrating start to the season. Jordan Sigler, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Oct. 2025 By the film’s final baffling scene, which sees Alma and Maggie reunite after a five-year time jump, the audience is left in the frustrating place of having more questions than answers. Mathew Rodriguez, Them., 10 Oct. 2025 And that is beyond frustrating. Ashley Lopez, NPR, 10 Oct. 2025 But his opening 45 minutes will have been a frustrating experience, with the assistant referee’s flag killing any momentum Mane was trying to gain. Rob Tanner, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for frustrating

Word History

First Known Use

1871, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of frustrating was in 1871

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Frustrating.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frustrating. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

frustrating

adjective
: producing frustration
a frustrating delay
frustratingly adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on frustrating

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!