as in annoying
causing annoyance
these daily traffic jams are frustrating
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in baffling
to prevent from achieving a goal
a multitude of conflicting opinions frustrated me in my attempt to find a computer that best suits my needs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in discouraging
to lessen the courage or confidence of
challenge the math student, but don't frustrate him or her with overly difficult problems
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of frustrating
Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 5 June 2026
One of the most frustrating things about being disabled are the administration of rules that are based on basically nothing.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 4 June 2026
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 7 May 2026
Mack and the Chargers’ defense pressured quarterbacks Jalen Hurts of the Eagles and Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs, frustrating them and keeping them out of their comfort zones.
—Elliott Teaford, Oc Register, 20 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for frustrating
Adjective
One of the most frustrating parts, Dupire says, was that an MRI performed during his first hospital stay had already raised concerns about either osteomyelitis — a serious bone infection — or an infiltrative marrow disorder.
—Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 5 June 2026
One of the most frustrating things about being disabled are the administration of rules that are based on basically nothing.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 4 June 2026
Verb
The documentary’s contradiction is right there, enthralling us with the wild achievements Potter pulled off and frustrating us with his bombast, leading us to ponder whether, as The Dark Wizard suggests, either could exist without the other.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 7 May 2026
Mack and the Chargers’ defense pressured quarterbacks Jalen Hurts of the Eagles and Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs, frustrating them and keeping them out of their comfort zones.
—Elliott Teaford, Oc Register, 20 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for frustrating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frustrating
Adjective
-
Some of the dead-on precision of Nilles’ attack was lost by out-of-sync video screens, an annoying glitch that needs attention given her monster performance.—
Joshua Rothkopf,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
-
But still, today’s astro-weather pulls your attention toward friends, collaborators and future plans, and one annoying money issue (or self-worth issue) could completely throw off your mood.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
5 June 2026
Verb
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For more than four minutes Darnold drove downfield, connecting on three of four passes, baffling the pass rushers, bleeding the clock, and by the time the Seahawks finally gave the ball back, the Rams had only 25 seconds to live.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
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Though some of the recent playoff defeats have been baffling and call for self-evaluation within the organization, the culture has been a huge net positive overall.—
Jay King,
New York Times,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
For instance, the federal permitting process is notoriously long and costly, discouraging the development of domestic production capacity.—
Wayne Winegarden,
Oc Register,
7 June 2026
-
Now the rise of AI is discouraging engagement with any human beings at all; instead, more and more people are forming their views in conversation with a machine that lacks moral sense.—
Jeffrey Rosen,
The Atlantic,
6 June 2026
Adjective
-
Again, this is very Yellowstone for Rip to have an excessively violent response to an irritating obstacle.—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
-
This is a company that built its reputation on engineering discipline, financial caution, and an almost irritating level of consistency.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
18 May 2026
Verb
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Last year, Alexander Isak’s eventual defection following a summer-long saga proved disastrous, hampering Newcastle’s own business, which had already been affected by Paul Mitchell’s departure as sporting director in May and by being pipped to their top targets.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
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Deep mistrust among some people in the town is hampering response efforts to the outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola virus — for which there is no vaccine.—
Emmet Livingstone,
NPR,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
This approach to archival material thus wrestles with a disturbing present in which family dispossession is both normalized and pathologized in the media every single day.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 June 2026
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The report, released Thursday, details disturbing accounts from several of Platner’s ex-girlfriends.—
Britta Miller,
The Washington Examiner,
6 June 2026
Verb
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Scenes at the coveted Edwards Ranch — the property Rip and Beth took over, thwarting Beulah Jackson's (Annette Bening) plans to expand her land — were filmed at the real-life Saunders Ranch in Weatherford, Texas.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
5 June 2026
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Brendan Fraser is on hand as well, playing a jerky LAPD detective who keeps stepping on Diamond’s toes, thwarting the private eye’s shrewd attempts to crack the case.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
20 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Frustrating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frustrating. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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