frustrate

verb

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frus·trate | \ ˈfrə-ˌstrāt

frustrated; frustrating

Definition of frustrate

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : to balk or defeat in an endeavor frustrated her opponents by her ball-handling

b : to induce feelings of discouragement in Not being able to find a job frustrated him.

2a(1) : to make ineffectual : bring to nothing Illness frustrated his plans for college.

(2) : impede, obstruct The project was frustrated by government regulations.

b : to make invalid or of no effect

frustrate

adjective

Definition of frustrate (Entry 2 of 2)

: characterized by frustration

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Synonyms & Antonyms for frustrate

Synonyms: Verb

Antonyms: Verb

Choose the Right Synonym for frustrate

Verb

frustrate, thwart, foil, baffle, balk mean to check or defeat another's plan or block achievement of a goal. frustrate implies making vain or ineffectual all efforts however vigorous or persistent. frustrated attempts at government reform thwart suggests frustration or checking by crossing or opposing. the army thwarted his attempt at a coup foil implies checking or defeating so as to discourage further effort. foiled by her parents, he stopped trying to see her baffle implies frustration by confusing or puzzling. baffled by the maze of rules and regulations balk suggests the interposing of obstacles or hindrances. officials felt that legal restrictions had balked their efforts to control crime

Examples of frustrate in a Sentence

Verb It frustrated him to miss so many games because of injuries. We've been frustrated by bureaucratic delays. Bureaucratic delays have frustrated our efforts to resolve this problem. The lack of investors has frustrated them in their efforts to expand the company.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb The problem is that guards and other gatekeepers frustrate these policies with their insistence on maintaining the power imbalances that a lack of pads or tampons creates. — Chandra Bozelko, Fortune, "Why business must help end ‘period poverty’ for women in America," 10 Dec. 2020 This kind of shift may even partly frustrate the aim of Minnesota's lofty individual income tax rates on the rich. — Star Tribune, "Taxing the rich is trickier than it seems," 30 Jan. 2021 The theory behind the lawsuit is that her son was instrumental in helping his father shuttle millions into trusts and tax havens around the world, specifically to frustrate his mother’s efforts to obtain her settlement. — New York Times, "It’s Mother vs. Son in Britain’s Priciest Divorce War," 5 Jan. 2021 His narrow room for political maneuver will likely further frustrate progressives who want massive government action on issues like health care and say their support was critical to his victory. — Stephen Collinson, CNN, "The challenges facing Joe Biden in 2021," 3 Jan. 2021 The report spells out the history and legal issues that frustrate efforts for a uniform policy in Alabama. — Mike Cason | Mcason@al.com, al, "Legislators face decisions on lottery, casinos after Alabama gambling report," 2 Jan. 2021 It's moved to tightly integrate its apps on a technical level, a decision some critics have suggested is a strategy to frustrate any potential breakup. — Brian Fung, CNN, "Dozens of states and the FTC sue Facebook for alleged anticompetitive behavior," 9 Dec. 2020 By contrast, there could be a lot of leftover lamb, particularly as the port closures frustrate processors’ efforts at a final sales push to the EU before a no-deal Brexit risks adding hefty tariffs to the bloc. — Megan Durisin, Bloomberg.com, "U.K. Border Crisis Puts Fruit Supply at Risk While Meat Piles Up," 22 Dec. 2020 Congress also is considering changes to antitrust law to bolster enforcers’ abilities to go after big tech companies, though partisan disagreements could frustrate those legislative efforts. — Ryan Tracy, WSJ, "More States Hit Google Over Alleged Monopoly Conduct," 17 Dec. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'frustrate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

21 Feb 2021

Cite this Entry

“Frustrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frustrate. Accessed 4 Mar. 2021.

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More Definitions for frustrate

frustrate

verb

English Language Learners Definition of frustrate

: to cause (someone) to feel angry, discouraged, or upset because of not being able to do something

: to prevent (efforts, plans, etc.) from succeeding : to keep (someone) from doing something

See the full definition for frustrate in the English Language Learners Dictionary

frustrate

verb

frus·trate | \ ˈfrə-ˌstrāt

frustrated; frustrating

Kids Definition of frustrate

1 : to cause to feel angry or discouraged The delays frustrated passengers.

2 : to prevent from succeeding Police frustrated the robbery.

3 : defeat entry 1 sense 2 The bad weather frustrated their plans for the beach.

frustrate

transitive verb

frus·trate | \ ˈfrəs-ˌtrāt

frustrated; frustrating

Medical Definition of frustrate

: to induce feelings of frustration in

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frustrate

transitive verb

frus·trate | \ ˈfrəs-ˌtrāt

frustrated; frustrating

Legal Definition of frustrate

: to make invalid or ineffectual : defeat the remedial purposes of the Workers' Compensation Act should not be frustrated by rigid technical standards — Palmer v. Bath Iron Works Corp., 559 A.2d 340 (1989)

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