groan of frustration
- noun
- /ɡroʊn əv frʌsˈtreɪʃən/
- She let out a loud groan of frustration after failing the test.
Examples
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When the computer crashed again, he let out a groan of frustration.
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She sighed heavily, producing a groan of frustration after reading the confusing instructions.
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A groan of frustration echoed through the room when the meeting was extended.
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She stifled a groan of frustration as she realized she had left her keys at home.
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His groan of frustration echoed in the empty room.
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David let out a groan of frustration when he realized he had lost his keys.
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When the computer crashed for the third time, Mark gave a loud groan of frustration.
Synonyms
A low unhappy sound showing pain, discomfort or dislike
A sharp, high sound like a snake or from people showing disapproval
A short sound people say or write to show anger
A loud cry made when people feel frustrated, hurt, or surprised
A sound people make to show disgust or annoyance
A short low sound showing disapproval or doubt
A short sound that shows frustration or annoyance
A short gruff sound that comes from clearing the throat to show annoyance or doubt
A short sad sound people make to show disappointment
A low sound people make when they feel annoyed or disappointed
A short snort people make to show doubt or dislike
Antonyms
How Frustrated
Surface Forms
Morphology
groan + of + frustration
The phrase directly composes 'groan' (a low, deep sound) with 'frustration' (a feeling of annoyance) linked by 'of' to indicate cause or source, so the overall meaning is immediately inferable. This noun-of-noun construction is a common, cross-linguistic pattern and would be accessible to a B1 learner who knows the constituent words.
Etymology
The phrase groan of frustration comes from a simple picture: someone makes a long, low sound, a groan, because they feel 'frustration', which is annoyance or disappointment. So it means 'a deep sound to show annoyance or disappointment'.