思うようにならず - what does it mean?

Question

A definition of 辛気臭い【しんきくさい】 (三省堂）：

思うようにならず、いらいらするさま。また、気がめいるさま

Nara often implies something happening naturally, zu stands for 'without', so does the whole compound adverb stand for 'subconsciously'? 'without thinking'?

Answer 1

Nara often implies something happening naturally, zu stands for 'without', so does the whole compound adverb stand for 'subconsciously'? 'without thinking'?

No. First of all, Nara is 動詞{どうし}, a verb. But you are correct in that this indicates "something happening naturally", since we call this なる, 無意識動詞{むいしきどうし}, literally a verb without consciousness.

Second, zu does not denote "without", but, to quote this source:

ず ①～ない （打ち消し） ( around the middle of the linked page )

but denotes denial (which is an auxiliary). In this phrase, it denies the above verb "naru/なる”.

Grammar Breakdown

思うようにならない。 ＝思う(連体形{れんたいけい}), in English to think + よう（様）に an auxiliary, 連用形{れんようけい}, in English as I expect + なら the verb, 連用形, in English (to become) + ない。the auxiliary, 終止形{しゅうしけい}, in English, denying the former verb/auxiliary/adjective verb, etc.

So the whole meaning is "Not having gone as I had expected".

Answer 2

This means something like 思うようにならない、（そして）いらいらする様子。
ならず is a different form of the negation. You can get more detailed information here: What is the difference between the negative forms -ず and -ぬ?

Answer 3

A wild grammatical construction appears!

思うようにならず, ~~ is the same as saying 思うようにならないで, ~~

行かず = 行かないで

ご飯を食べず, 寝ました (Went to bed without eating dinner)

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If something was 思うようになる then it would be "conceivable"

so 思うようにならないで, ~ is something like "inconceivably" or "does not even lend to imagining" perhaps.