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Prepositions after adjectives

Frustrating for, at or to?

Frustrating for and frustrating to are both used in standard English, but with different meanings. Frustrating at is generally not used as a direct adjective pattern.

Quick answer

Frustrating for vs. frustrating to

Use frustrating for someone when describing an experience affecting them. Use frustrating to someone when emphasizing the emotional effect. Frustrating at is generally nonstandard as a direct complement.

The delays were frustrating for passengers.
The constant noise is frustrating to employees.
It can be frustrating for new learners.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
frustrating for + person

Describing a difficult experience

Use frustrating for when a situation causes difficulty or inconvenience for someone.

The long wait was frustrating for customers.
Remote work can be frustrating for new staff.
2
frustrating to + person

Describing emotional effect

Use frustrating to when emphasizing the feeling caused in a person.

The repeated errors were frustrating to the team.
This situation is frustrating to everyone involved.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
frustrating for
The process was frustrating for applicants.
difficult or unpleasant from someone's perspective
frustrating to
The delay was frustrating to passengers.
causing feelings of frustration
frustrating at
Frustrating at is generally not used as a direct adjective pattern.
nonstandard in this structure

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using frustrating at as a direct pattern

Frustrating at is not normally used before a noun phrase.

✕ The delays were frustrating at customers. ✓ The delays were frustrating for customers.

Confusing for and to

For highlights the person's experience; to highlights emotional effect.

✕ The broken system was frustrating to beginners during training. ✓ The broken system was frustrating for beginners during training.

Leaving out the object after to

Frustrating to usually needs a person or group.

✕ The constant noise was frustrating to. ✓ The constant noise was frustrating to the staff.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The software update was frustrating ___ users.
2. The repeated mistakes were frustrating ___ the manager.
3. Which option is generally nonstandard as a direct pattern?

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Frequently asked questions

Can frustrating for and frustrating to both be correct?

Yes. They are both standard but emphasize slightly different meanings.

Is frustrating at correct?

Not usually as a direct complement after frustrating. Other structures are preferred.

What is the main difference between frustrating for and frustrating to?

For focuses on the experience or situation affecting someone. To focuses on the emotional reaction caused in someone.

face-to-face-with-in-at-for, to "fair to" or "fair in"? faithful to, in, of, with or for? falling of, in, out, into or off? "false in" or "false to"? famed for, as, in or throughout? familiar with, to, from or in? famous for, in, of, by or as? fanatical about, in, as, for or of? "fantastic for" or "fantastic in"? far from, in, to, for or with? fascinating to, about, in, for or as?

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