frustration

frustration — noun

1. The upset or discouraged feeling that arises when you try hard but fail to achie

1.nounB1
Definition

The upset or discouraged feeling that arises when you try hard but fail to achieve something you want, or an event that produces this feeling.

Example

Shanti cried tears of frustration after spending hours trying to fix her bicycle chain.

uncountable: in frustration / tears of frustration

The constant noise from the construction site was a source of frustration for the library staff.

collocation: source of frustration

Common collocations
  • feel frustration
  • express frustration
  • cry/sigh in frustration
  • deep/growing frustration
  • source of frustration
  • frustration builds/mounts
  • out of frustration
Synonyms
  • annoyance

    milder, shorter-lasting; frustration is deeper and goal-related

  • disappointment

    focuses on the letdown of unmet expectations rather than the blocking of effort

  • exasperation

    stronger, implies being almost out of patience

  • irritation

    repeated small problems building up, less intense than frustration

Antonyms
  • satisfaction

    the feeling of success or achievement, the opposite of being blocked

  • fulfillment

    the sense of reaching one's goals and feeling complete

Grammar Patterns

frustration + at + noun/gerund

frustration + with + noun

a frustration (countable: a specific annoying event)

Usage Note

Can be either uncountable (the general feeling: 'She wept in frustration') or countable (a specific event: 'Missing the bus was just one more frustration in a bad day').

Common Mistakes

I am frustration with the traffic.
I am frustrated with the traffic.
'frustration' is a noun; use the adjective 'frustrated' after forms of 'be'.
He has frustration about his job.
He feels frustrated about his job.' or 'He feels frustration about his job.
'feel frustration' is idiomatic; 'has frustration' sounds unnatural.

2. The situation in which a plan, process, or effort is blocked or prevented from s

2.nounB2
Definition

The situation in which a plan, process, or effort is blocked or prevented from succeeding.

Example

The frustration of the research project by budget cuts hit the whole laboratory hard.

structure: the frustration of + noun + by + agent

Ryo's dream of becoming a pilot met frustration when his eyesight failed the exam.

collocation: met with frustration

Common collocations
  • frustration of plans/efforts
  • meet with frustration
  • face frustration
  • end in frustration
Synonyms
  • hindrance

    focuses on the obstacle itself rather than the condition of being blocked

  • obstruction

    more physical/mechanical; frustration is broader and can include systemic barriers

  • thwarting

    suggests deliberate opposition; frustration can also come from impersonal causes

  • setback

    a specific instance of delay rather than the ongoing condition

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

the frustration + of + noun phrase (plan/effort/attempt)

face/meet with frustration

Usage Note

Typically uncountable. Often followed by 'of' plus a noun phrase describing the blocked plan: 'the frustration of their efforts'.

Common Mistakes

The frustration of the plan is. (as a complete sentence)
The frustration of the plan caused delays.
'frustration of' is a noun phrase that needs a verb to form a full sentence.
The frustration of him trying to start the car.
His frustration at trying to start the car.
For sense 1 (feeling), use 'frustration at' + gerund. For sense 2 (blocking), use 'the frustration of (plan).'

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Frustration is the broadest of these five — it is the upset feeling that arises when something blocks you from reaching a goal, whether big or small. Disappointment focuses on the letdown when hopes or expectations are not met; you can feel disappointed without feeling frustrated (e.g. a birthday party that is just okay). Annoyance is milder, triggered by small inconveniences like a buzzing phone during a film. Irritation is a stronger, more persistent form of annoyance, often building up over repeated minor problems. Exasperation is the strongest — a sense of having reached the absolute limit of patience. Example: Élise felt annoyance when the bus was five minutes late, her irritation grew as it reached fifteen minutes, and by the time the driver announced a detour, her frustration turned to exasperation.

frustration ↗disappointment ↗annoyance ↗exasperationirritation

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • out of frustration
  • in frustration
  • a sense of frustration
  • a feeling of frustration
  • a source of frustration

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Frustration comes from Latin 'frustrari', meaning 'to deceive or disappoint', which itself comes from 'frustra' meaning 'in vain' or 'without effect'. The idea of being left with nothing despite effort — doing something 'in vain' — is at the heart of the word's original meaning. It entered Middle French as 'frustration' and then came into English in the 1500s.