frustration

noun

frus·​tra·​tion (ˌ)frə-ˈstrā-shən How to pronounce frustration (audio)
1
: the act of frustrating
the frustration of creative instinct is a notorious evil of the machine ageThe Times Literary Supplement (London)
2
a
: 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 literatureMalcolm Cowley
3
: something that frustrates
the government's frustrations with seemingly insoluble problems

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 Parham expressed frustration with this kind of attitude. Emma Green, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024 Social media reacts to start of daylight saving time in hilarious fashion As with any major event, people took to social media to express their frustration over the changing time and disrupt in sleep schedule. USA TODAY, 11 Mar. 2024 Harper is not the only Republican election judge to express this frustration to the Star-Telegram. Cody Copeland, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Mar. 2024 But again, Ukrainian frustration with American congressional paralysis is at play. Thomas Gibbons-Neff, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2024 With no more opposition, Sweden has now joined NATO — much to Russia and Putin’s frustration. Peter Aitken, Fox News, 7 Mar. 2024 Taken together, the analysts say, the outcomes are a measure of voters’ priorities and their frustration with the status quo. Reis Thebault, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2024 Meanwhile, businesses’ aggressive implementation of self-checkout systems has backfired in certain markets as consumers increasingly voice frustrations with the often finicky tech. Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 7 Mar. 2024 Digital transformation programs fail to get off the ground and systems remain archaic—leading to frustration and discontentment. Dr. Tracy Cocivera, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'frustration.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of frustration was circa 1555

Dictionary Entries Near frustration

Cite this Entry

“Frustration.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frustration. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

frustration

noun
frus·​tra·​tion (ˌ)frəs-ˈtrā-shən How to pronounce frustration (audio)
1
a
: an act of frustrating
b
: a state or an instance of being frustrated
2
: a feeling of being unable to get anything done
3
: something that frustrates

Medical Definition

frustration

noun
frus·​tra·​tion (ˌ)frəs-ˈtrā-shən How to pronounce frustration (audio)
1
: a deep chronic sense or state of insecurity and dissatisfaction arising from unresolved problems or unfulfilled needs
2
: something that frustrates

Legal Definition

frustration

noun
frus·​tra·​tion ˌfrəs-ˈtrā-shən How to pronounce frustration (audio)
1
a
: 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.

More from Merriam-Webster on frustration

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