frustration

/frʌˈstreɪʃn/

C1noun

The feeling of being annoyed or impatient because you cannot do or achieve what you want, or a situation that causes this feeling.

Concreteness 2.1/5 · Abstract

Tiếng Việt

sự nản lòng

phrớt-STREI-shần

Nhấn mạnh vào âm tiết thứ hai 'STREI', âm 'sh' phát âm nặng giống 's' trong tiếng Việt nhưng uốn lưỡi.

Cảm giác bực bội hoặc mất kiên nhẫn vì không thể thực hiện hoặc đạt được điều mình muốn, hoặc một tình huống gây ra cảm giác này.

Meanings

3 meanings

1The feeling of being annoyed, impatient, or dissatisfied because you cannot achieve what you want or because something is not happening the way you want it to.emotions
Cảm giác bực bội, mất kiên nhẫn hoặc không hài lòng vì bạn không thể đạt được điều mình muốn hoặc vì điều gì đó không diễn ra theo ý muốn.
“Dave thumped the table in frustration when he couldn't get the computer to work.”
“Dave đã đập bàn trong sự bực bội khi anh ấy không thể làm cho máy tính hoạt động được.”
- He took his pent-up frustration out on his family.
- I agree that we are accomplishing nothing at the moment, and I share your frustration.
- There were tears of frustration in her eyes.
- Many have expressed frustration at the delays.
Người Việt thường dùng 'bực mình' hoặc 'nản lòng'. Khi dùng với 'in', nó mô tả trạng thái cảm xúc thúc đẩy một hành động.
2A particular thing or situation that causes you to feel annoyed, disappointed, or impatient.daily life
Một sự việc hoặc tình huống cụ thể khiến bạn cảm thấy bực bội, thất vọng hoặc mất kiên nhẫn.
“Every job has its difficulties and frustrations.”
“Công việc nào cũng có những khó khăn và nỗi bực dọc riêng.”
- You have to learn to cope with these frustrations.
- The teacher confirmed widespread frustration with the lack of up-to-date textbooks.
- One of the frustrations of the job is the amount of paperwork involved.
Ở nghĩa này, 'frustration' là danh từ đếm được, thường dùng ở số nhiều để chỉ những rắc rối, trở ngại nhỏ nhặt trong cuộc sống.
3The act of preventing something from being successful or from being achieved.formal
Hành động ngăn cản điều gì đó thành công hoặc đạt được.
“He spoke of the frustration of all his political ambitions.”
“Ông ấy đã nói về sự đổ vỡ của tất cả những tham vọng chính trị của mình.”
- Our efforts to get funding to save the lighthouse met with frustration.
- The frustration of the treaty was a major blow to the peace process.
Đây là nghĩa trang trọng (formal), thường dùng trong bối cảnh pháp lý hoặc chính trị để chỉ việc làm thất bại một kế hoạch/ý định.

Word bank

Synonyms

Near synonyms

Antonyms

Common phrases

deep frustration
growing frustration
vent your frustration
express frustration
sense of frustration
source of frustration
tears of frustration

Grammar & forms

Grammar

uncountable
countable

Inflections

plural: frustrations

Word family

Usage patterns

frustration at something
frustration with something/somebody
in frustration
frustration of something

Avoid mistakes

Common mistakes

He has a lot of frustrations at his job.
He feels a lot of frustration at his job.
While 'frustrations' is correct for specific things, general emotion is usually uncountable 'frustration'.
The frustration to the project was clear.
The frustration with the project was clear.
The preposition 'with' is used to show what you are frustrated about.
I am frustration with you.
I am frustrated with you.
Do not use the noun where the adjective 'frustrated' is required.
It was a frustration experience.
It was a frustrating experience.
Use the adjective 'frustrating' to describe an experience.
He expressed his frustrations at the delays.
He expressed his frustration at the delays.
When referring to a single feeling, use the uncountable noun.

Don't confuse with

frustrated
the adjective describing the person feeling the emotion.
“I feel very frustrated.”
Use 'frustration' for the noun/feeling itself, and 'frustrated' for the person.
disappointment
sadness because something was not as good as expected.
“The movie was a big disappointment.”
Frustration involves a sense of being blocked or stuck; disappointment is more about the result.

Academic collocations

Words that pair with "frustration" in formal and academic writing

verb: causeexpressreflectlead to
adjective: considerableintensemountingwidespread
noun: level of frustrationfeeling of frustration
preposition: withatover

In context

Real-world examples

daily life
The constant traffic jams in Ho Chi Minh City are a major source of frustration for commuters.
Tình trạng kẹt xe liên tục ở Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh là nguồn cơn gây bực bội lớn cho những người đi làm.
Traffic congestion is a daily reality and a common topic of complaint in major Vietnamese cities.
academic
Many young graduates feel frustration when they cannot find a job that matches their major.
Nhiều sinh viên mới tốt nghiệp cảm thấy nản lòng khi không thể tìm được công việc phù hợp với chuyên ngành của mình.
Education is highly valued in VN, and the pressure to find a relevant, high-paying job post-graduation is intense.
business
The complex administrative procedures often lead to frustration for local business owners.
Các thủ tục hành chính phức tạp thường dẫn đến sự bức xúc cho các chủ doanh nghiệp địa phương.
Reflects the ongoing efforts and challenges in administrative reform within the Vietnamese business environment.
daily life
She vented her frustration by going for a long run along the West Lake.
Cô ấy đã giải tỏa nỗi bực dọc bằng cách chạy bộ một quãng dài ven Hồ Tây.
Exercise in public spaces like West Lake (Hanoi) is a popular way for urban Vietnamese to manage stress.
business
The slow internet connection during the online meeting caused much frustration.
Kết nối internet chậm trong suốt cuộc họp trực tuyến đã gây ra nhiều sự khó chịu.
With the rise of remote work in VN, internet stability is a frequent concern for professionals.

Notes for Vietnamese speakers

In Vietnamese culture, expressing 'frustration' (sự bức xúc) publicly is becoming more common, especially on social media regarding public services or social issues.
The word 'bức xúc' is often used in Vietnamese media to describe a higher level of frustration combined with a sense of injustice.
Vietnamese people often use indirect ways to show frustration to maintain 'face' (thể diện) in formal or hierarchical settings.

Etymology

Late Middle English (in the sense ‘thwarting, disappointment’): from Latin frustratio(n-), from frustrare ‘deceive, baffle’, from frustra ‘in vain’. Reference: Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology.

Exam levels

CEFR

TOEIC

805-850