how frustrating

USAGE SUMMARY

'how frustrating' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to express feelings of annoyance or exasperation towards a certain situation. For example, "I spent two hours on the assignment and still can't get the answer right - how frustrating!".

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

"That's how frustrating that is".

The New York Times - Sports

"How frustrating!" Ms. Gaffney said.

The New York Times

I can't express how frustrating it is".

The New York Times - Sports

I see, how frustrating on multiple levels.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

You have no idea how frustrating it is".

The New York Times

Woods knows how frustrating the Postage Stamp can be.

The New York Times - Sports

However, everyone knows how frustrating the experience with search engines can be.

Data & Knowledge Engineering

I absolutely recognize it, and I know how frustrating that is.

The New York Times

How frustrating, then, to be vastly rich but never quite to get what you want.

The Economist

How frustrating, after having labored so hard to avoid the thorns.

The New Yorker

What many don't anticipate, however, is how frustrating the work can be.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "how frustrating" to express personal feelings of annoyance or exasperation in response to a situation or event. Ensure the context clearly indicates what is causing the frustration.

Common error

While "how frustrating" is widely understood, reserve it for situations where a direct expression of emotion is appropriate. In formal writing, consider more neutral phrasing such as "this presents a challenge" or "this is less than ideal".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "how frustrating" primarily functions as an exclamatory expression. It amplifies the adjective "frustrating", indicating a strong feeling of annoyance or exasperation. This is supported by Ludwig, which provides numerous examples of its use in expressing personal reactions to challenging situations.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

78%

Science

12%

Formal & Business

3%

Less common in

Wiki

2%

Academia

2%

Encyclopedias

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "how frustrating" is a commonly used exclamatory phrase to express feelings of annoyance or exasperation. As verified by Ludwig, its grammatical structure is correct, and it appears frequently in various contexts, particularly in News & Media. While versatile, it's important to consider the register and avoid overuse in overly formal settings. Consider alternatives such as "how irritating" or "how disappointing" to add nuance to your expression. The phrase functions to convey emotions and connect with readers, listeners and/or stakeholders on a personal level, depending on a specific context.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

how irritating

Replaces "frustrating" with a synonym emphasizing annoyance.

how annoying

Substitutes "frustrating" with a common term for causing irritation.

how exasperating

Replaces "frustrating" with a more intense synonym, indicating a higher degree of irritation.

how vexing

Uses a less common but equally fitting synonym for "frustrating".

how disappointing

Emphasizes the feeling of disillusionment caused by unmet expectations instead of frustration.

how disheartening

Highlights the discouraging aspect of a situation rather than just the frustration.

how irritating it is

Adds "it is" to clarify the subject but retains the core meaning.

how annoying that is

Replaces "frustrating" with "annoying" and adds "that is" for emphasis.

what a nuisance

Replaces the entire phrase with an exclamation expressing that something is bothersome

what a pain

Replaces the entire phrase with an exclamation highlighting that something is bothersome

FAQs

How can I use "how frustrating" in a sentence?

You can use "how frustrating" to express annoyance or exasperation about a situation. For example, "I spent hours on this project, and it still failed – how frustrating!"

What are some alternatives to saying "how frustrating"?

You can use alternatives such as "how irritating", "how annoying", or "what a nuisance" depending on the context.

Is it appropriate to use "how frustrating" in formal writing?

While understandable, "how frustrating" might be too informal for academic or professional writing. Consider alternatives like "this presents a challenge" or "this is less than ideal" to maintain a more neutral tone.

What's the difference between "how frustrating" and "how disappointing"?

"How frustrating" emphasizes the annoyance or irritation caused by something, while "how disappointing" focuses on the feeling of disillusionment when expectations are not met. The choice depends on which aspect you want to highlight.