Standard Lemma guide

frustration

noun · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • US: /fɹʌsˈtɹeɪ.ʃən/
  • US: /fɹəˈstɹeɪ.ʃən/
  • Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -eɪʃən
  • CMU ARPABET: F R AH0 S T R EY1 SH AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The feeling of annoyance at impossibility from resistance or inability to achieve something.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The act of frustrating, or the state, or an instance of being frustrated.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

The act of frustrating, or the state, or an instance of being frustrated.

The state of contract that allows a party to back away from its contractual obligations due to (unforeseen) radical changes to the nature of the thing a party has been obligated to.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: law

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A thing that frustrates.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

Anger not directed at anything or anyone in particular.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

an act of hindering someone's plans or efforts

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: thwarting, foiling

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: hindrance, hinderance, interference

7

noun

Meaning 7

a feeling of annoyance at being hindered or criticized

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • her constant complaints were the main source of his frustration

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: annoyance, chafe, vexation

8

noun

Meaning 8

the feeling that accompanies an experience of being thwarted in attaining your goals

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: defeat

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: disappointment, letdown

History

Etymology

From Latin frūstrātiō (“disappointment”), related to frūstrā (“in vain”). By surface analysis, frustrate + -ion.

Across languages

Translations

79 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: إِحْبَاط (ʔiḥbāṭ) — feeling of annoyance
  • Belarusian: расчарава́нне (rasčaravánnje) — feeling of annoyance
  • Belarusian: незадаво́ленасць (njezadavóljenascʹ) — feeling of annoyance
  • Belarusian: расстро́йства (rasstrójstva) — feeling of annoyance
  • Belarusian: разла́д (razlád) — feeling of annoyance
  • Bulgarian: разочарование (razočarovanie) — feeling of annoyance
  • Catalan: frustració — feeling of annoyance
  • Chinese Mandarin: 挫折 (cuòzhé) — feeling of annoyance
  • Czech: frustrace — feeling of annoyance
  • Danish: frustration — feeling of annoyance
  • Esperanto: frustriĝo — feeling of annoyance
  • Finnish: harmitus — feeling of annoyance
  • Finnish: turhautuneisuus — feeling of annoyance
  • Finnish: turhauma — feeling of annoyance
  • Finnish: frustraatio — feeling of annoyance
  • French: frustration — feeling of annoyance
  • German: Frust — feeling of annoyance
  • German: Frustration — feeling of annoyance
  • Greek: στέρηση (stérisi) — feeling of annoyance
  • Hebrew: תסכול — feeling of annoyance
  • Hungarian: frusztráció — feeling of annoyance
  • Indonesian: frustrasi — feeling of annoyance
  • Italian: insoddisfazione — feeling of annoyance
  • Italian: delusione — feeling of annoyance
  • Japanese: 挫折 (zasetsu) — feeling of annoyance
  • Norwegian Bokmål: frustrasjon — feeling of annoyance
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: frustrasjon — feeling of annoyance
  • Plautdietsch: Äwadrissichkjeit — feeling of annoyance
  • Polish: frustracja — feeling of annoyance
  • Romanian: frustrare — feeling of annoyance
  • Romanian: frustrație — feeling of annoyance
  • Russian: разочарова́ние (razočarovánije) — feeling of annoyance
  • Russian: неудовлетворённость (neudovletvorjónnostʹ) — feeling of annoyance
  • Russian: расстро́йство (rasstrójstvo) — feeling of annoyance
  • Serbo-Croatian: frustrácija — feeling of annoyance
  • Spanish: frustración — feeling of annoyance
  • Swedish: frustration — feeling of annoyance
  • Ukrainian: розчарува́ння (rozčaruvánnja) — feeling of annoyance
  • Ukrainian: незадово́леність (nezadovólenistʹ) — feeling of annoyance
  • Ukrainian: ро́злад (rózlad) — feeling of annoyance
  • Ukrainian: фрустра́ція (frustrácija) — feeling of annoyance
  • Bulgarian: разочарование (razočarovanie) — act of frustrating
  • Dutch: frustratie — act of frustrating
  • Finnish: turhauttaminen — act of frustrating
  • Finnish: turhautuminen — act of frustrating
  • French: frustration — act of frustrating
  • Galician: frustración — act of frustrating
  • German: Frustration — act of frustrating
  • Italian: frustrazione — act of frustrating
  • Māori: hēmanawatanga — act of frustrating
  • Māori: whakahēmanawatanga — act of frustrating
  • Portuguese: frustração — act of frustrating
  • Romanian: frustrare — act of frustrating
  • Romanian: frustrație — act of frustrating
  • Russian: расстро́йство (rasstrójstvo) — act of frustrating
  • Russian: срыв (sryv) — act of frustrating
  • Russian: круше́ние (krušénije) — act of frustrating
  • Russian: фрустра́ция (frustrácija) — act of frustrating
  • Russian: крах (krax) — act of frustrating
  • Serbo-Croatian: frustrácija — act of frustrating
  • Spanish: frustración — act of frustrating
  • Turkish: bıkkınlık — act of frustrating
  • Hungarian: akadályoztatás — state or instance of being frustrated
  • Hungarian: csalódottság — state or instance of being frustrated
  • Hungarian: csalódás — state or instance of being frustrated
  • Hungarian: kiábrándultság — state or instance of being frustrated
  • Hungarian: elkeseredettség — state or instance of being frustrated
  • Chinese Mandarin: 落空 (luòkōng) — contractual frustration
  • Finnish: tarkoituksettomuus — contractual frustration
  • Finnish: tuleminen tarkoituksettomaksi — contractual frustration
  • Finnish: käyminen tarkoituksettomaksi — contractual frustration
  • German: Frustration — contractual frustration
  • Swedish: hinder — contractual frustration
  • Dutch: frustratie — thing that frustrates
  • Finnish: vastus — thing that frustrates
  • Finnish: vaiva — thing that frustrates
  • Finnish: turhauttava juttu — thing that frustrates
  • German: Frustration — thing that frustrates
  • Serbo-Croatian: frustrácija — thing that frustrates
Real reading context

frustration in complete knowledge articles