frustration

noun

frus·tra·tion | \ (ˌ)frə-ˈstrā-shən

Definition of frustration

1 : the act of frustrating the frustration of creative instinct is a notorious evil of the machine age — The Times Literary Supplement (London)

2a : the state or an instance of being frustrated These bureaucratic delays have been causing us a lot of frustration.

b : a deep chronic sense or state of insecurity and dissatisfaction arising from unresolved problems or unfulfilled needs loneliness and frustration; those are two constant themes in American literature— Malcolm Cowley

3 : something that frustrates the government's frustrations with seemingly insoluble problems

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about frustration

Keep scrolling for more

Examples of frustration in a Sentence

He shook his head in frustration. These bureaucratic delays have been causing us a lot of frustration. These delays have proven to be a major frustration. We've been experiencing a lot of frustrations. He was angry about the frustration of his plans.

Recent Examples on the Web

The transcripts highlight policy makers’ frustration over the difficulty explaining untested exit strategies to nervous investors. — Nick Timiraos, WSJ, "In 2013, Powell Worried Fed’s Bond Buys Were Distorting Markets, Transcripts Show," 11 Jan. 2019 Many students get upset talking about their education, frustration showing on their faces. — Sarah Butrymowicz, Marie Claire, "Refugee Girls Want to Change the World. Will We Let Them?," 7 Jan. 2019 That comes in the form of laughs (with returning scene-stealer Michael Peña), aw-shucks heart (with Lang's daughter), and utter frustration (with another scene-stealer, Randall Park as a ragingly insecure FBI agent). — Sam Machkovech And Nathan Mattise, Ars Technica, "Films for the discerning nerd: Ars picks the best of 2018," 27 Dec. 2018 The Senate’s supermajority requirement has been an enormous frustration for Trump during his term in office. — Andrew Prokop, Vox, "The nuclear option, explained.," 21 Dec. 2018 Last month, a British cybersecurity official stormed out of a meeting with Huawei in frustration over the Chinese company’s perceived sluggishness at addressing the technical problems, a person familiar with the matter said. — Stu Woo, WSJ, "Huawei Says Its Gear Is Safe; U.K. Officials Aren’t Sure Anymore," 23 Dec. 2018 But this particular flub is telling about progressive frustration over the double standard on military versus non-military spending, and also the fraught state of play regarding the push for a Medicare-for-all program. — Matthew Yglesias, Vox, "The $21 trillion Pentagon accounting error that can’t pay for Medicare-for-all, explained," 3 Dec. 2018 It should be noted that even in a world in which men’s frustrations over seeing women in leadership positions have the moral high ground, a faction of warlocks still manages to align themselves with a man who will bring about the end of days. — Kelsea Stahler, Teen Vogue, "The Resurgence of Witches in Pop Culture Like Sabrina, AHS "Coven," and "Charmed" Reflects Women in the Real World," 14 Nov. 2018 Ivanka reportedly shut the company down due to frustrations over conflicts of interest and increased scrutiny. — Megan Friedman, Town & Country, "The Rise and Fall of Ivanka Trump’s Fashion Line," 24 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'frustration.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about frustration

Dictionary Entries near frustration

Statistics for frustration

Last Updated

17 Jan 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for frustration

The first known use of frustration was circa 1555

See more words from the same year

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for frustration

frustration

noun

English Language Learners Definition of frustration

: a feeling of anger or annoyance caused by being unable to do something : the state of being frustrated

: something that causes feelings of anger and annoyance

: the fact of being prevented from succeeding or doing something

See the full definition for frustration in the English Language Learners Dictionary

frustration

noun

frus·tra·tion | \ ˌfrə-ˈstrā-shən

Kids Definition of frustration

: disappointment sense 1, defeat

frustration

noun

frus·tra·tion | \ (ˌ)frəs-ˈtrā-shən

Medical Definition of frustration

1 : a deep chronic sense or state of insecurity and dissatisfaction arising from unresolved problems or unfulfilled needs

2 : something that frustrates

Keep scrolling for more

frustration

noun

frus·tra·tion | \ ˌfrəs-ˈtrā-shən

Legal Definition of frustration

1a : the act of frustrating

b : the state or an instance of being frustrated

c : something that frustrates

2 : a common-law doctrine of contract law: parties to a contract may be excused from performance even though performance is still possible if the reason for making the contract is partially or completely frustrated by a fortuitous event or by circumstances which are not the fault of either party

— called also frustration of purpose, frustration of the venture

— compare cause sense 4, force majeure clause, impossibility, impracticability

Note: In order for frustration to be used as a successful defense to a breach of contract claim, the reason for making the contract must have been contemplated or recognized by both the contracting parties even though it was not expressed in the contract.