Frustrated
/ˈfrʌs.treɪ.tɪd/noun
Feeling upset or annoyed because of being unable to change or achieve something.
Did you know?Its ancestor, Latin *frustrāre*, meant “to deceive, disappoint, or make vain,” so the word has always carried the energy of effort turned into emptiness.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dhreu-
“to break, split, or shatter”
Latin
Latin
frustra
“in vain, to no purpose”
Latin
Latin
frustrāre
“to disappoint, deceive, or make vain”
Late Latin
Latin
frustrātus
“disappointed, thwarted”
Old French
Old French
frustrer
“to deprive, thwart, or deceive”
Middle English
English
frustraten
“to thwart or bring to nothing”
Modern English
English
frustrated
“feeling annoyed or upset because something is blocked or impossible”
Explore more surprising origins