frustrate

verb

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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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

Saving revenues for the future will help stabilise the economy, but could also frustrate voters and leave the president’s successor with money to squander. — The Economist, "Fighting the resource curse through online gaming," 28 June 2018 Chicago White Sox fans were ecstatic about the team’s top pitching prospect one week, and impatient and frustrated the next. — Chapel Fowler, charlotteobserver, "White Sox prospect Michael Kopech stopped listening, went from struggling to sizzling," 27 June 2018 Australia was able to counter with a penalty kick of its own to tie the game up, but an own-goal off a Paul Pogba shot in the final 10 minutes of the match left the team frustrated. — Julia Poe, SI.com, "How to Watch Denmark vs. Australia: World Cup Live Stream, TV Channel, Time," 21 June 2018 But the recent increase in homicides is new grist for civic leaders already frustrated that the symbols of change evident in many District neighborhoods — new housing, restaurants, and places to shop — elude their own. — Paul Schwartzman, Washington Post, "The story must be told.," 16 June 2018 And so, again, the Dolphins brain trust appears equally baffled and frustrated that their quasi-make-over this offseason is being panned so universally in the football world. — Dave Hyde, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Hyde: Dolphins did all they wanted this offseason — but will it work? | Commentary," 14 June 2018 The injury frustrated Somers’ players and sparked tension between the two teams. — Joe Burns, courant.com, "Somers Rallies Against Eagles, Chance for Three-Peat In Class S," 6 June 2018 Those personal accountability measures had been the main sticking point in a process that left some senators frustrated at the glacial pace of negotiations after the House passed its version of the bill three months earlier. — NBC News, "Senate to release its sexual harassment legislation," 22 May 2018 But a Republican majority in the House of Representatives ended a similar congressional investigation, leaving Democratic lawmakers frustrated. — Adi Robertson, The Verge, "Democratic National Committee sues Russia, WikiLeaks, and the Trump campaign over 2016 hack," 20 Apr. 2018

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.

History and Etymology for frustrate

Verb

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

Adjective

see frustrate entry 1

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Dictionary Entries near frustrate

Statistics for frustrate

Last Updated

4 Nov 2018

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for frustrate

The first known use of frustrate was in the 15th century

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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)