frustrate

1 of 2

verb

frus·​trate ˈfrə-ˌstrāt 

frustrated; frustrating

transitive verb

1

a

: 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.

2

a(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

2 of 2

adjective

: characterized by frustration

Synonyms

Verb

• baffle
• balk
• beat
• checkmate
• discomfit
• foil
• thwart

Choose the Right Synonym for frustrate

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

Although so highly esteemed, the notoriously taciturn director would often frustrate his colleagues by his reticence to explain his directorial intentions. —Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 10 Apr. 2025

The team settled on a patient with SD Autism Spectrum disorder who had an ankle sprain but frustrated Dr. Langdon (Patrick Ball) with his endless questions. —Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 10 Apr. 2025

Adjective

Legacy systems increase security risks, drive up maintenance costs and frustrate both staff and citizens. —Abhijit Verekar, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025

In an age where impersonal chatbots and automated responses often frustrate rather than engage, HeyGen, a generative AI video platform, is radically reshaping how businesses communicate. —Ron Schmelzer, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Adjective

Middle English, from Latin frustratus, past participle of frustrare to deceive, frustrate, from frustra in error, in vain

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for frustrate

• abate
• airfreight
• await
• baseplate
• berate
• birthdate
• birthrate
• bookplate
• borate
• breastplate
• bromate
• casemate

Kids Definition

frustrate

verb

frus·​trate

ˈfrəs-ˌtrāt

frustrated; frustrating

1

: to prevent from carrying out a purpose

tried to frustrate his opponents in their efforts

2

: to bring to nothing

the accident frustrated the plan

Medical Definition

frustrate

transitive verb

frus·​trate ˈfrəs-ˌtrāt 

frustrated; frustrating

: to induce feelings of frustration in

Legal Definition

frustrate

transitive verb

frus·​trate ˈfrəs-ˌtrāt 

frustrated; frustrating

: 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)