frustration
/frʌsˈtreɪ.ʃən/ IELTSAcademic
noun
Frustration is the feeling you get when you cannot do something you want to do. It can also mean the situation that causes this feeling.
- She felt frustration after missing the deadline.
- His frustration grew when the app kept crashing.
- The slow service caused a lot of frustration.
Adinary Nuance
Frustration is stronger than simple disappointment. It usually means repeated difficulty, delay, or blockage, not just one small bad result. Compared with anger, it is often more about helplessness than attack. Compared with annoyance, it feels deeper and more serious.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- sự bực bội
- Spanish
- frustración
- Chinese
- 挫折感
- Japanese
- いらだち
- Korean
- 좌절감
Etymology
Frustration comes from Late Latin frustratio, from frustrari, meaning “to deceive” or “to disappoint.” It entered English in the late Middle Ages.
Common phrases
feel frustrationa source of frustrationfrustration withfrustration level
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is frustration a feeling or a situation?
- It can be both. It is the feeling, and also the cause of that feeling.
- What is the difference between frustration and anger?
- Frustration is often caused by being blocked or delayed. Anger is usually hotter and more direct.
- Is frustration formal or informal?
- It is common in both speaking and writing. It works well in academic and business English.
- How do I use frustration in a sentence?
- You can say, “I felt frustration,” or “The delay caused frustration.”