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

Some Nigerians frustrated by crime and corruption have suggested that reviving such traditions could be a deterrent. — Sam Olukoya, Fox News, "In Nigeria, voodoo festival shows strength of traditions," 27 Sep. 2018 One of the wittier details in DeMonaco’s functional, largely generic script finds the slavish TV news anchors frustrated by the purge’s relatively sluggish start. — Michael Phillips, kansascity, "In ‘First Purge’ prequel, there’s no avoiding politics or buckets of blood," 3 July 2018 One of the wittier details in DeMonaco’s functional, largely generic script finds the slavish TV news anchors frustrated by the purge’s relatively sluggish start. — Michael Phillips, chicagotribune.com, "'The First Purge' review: The riskiest-ever federal entitlement program begins," 3 July 2018 With Jacobs clearly frustrated by the conversation, Ravenel considers ending things. — Jodi Guglielmi, PEOPLE.com, "Southern Charm's Thomas Ravenel Considers Breaking Up with Ashley: I Feel Like a 'Sugar Daddy'," 28 June 2018 But Maine’s experiment should interest anyone frustrated by America’s cripplingly partisan politics. — The Economist, "In praise of ranked-choice voting," 14 June 2018 Privacy - Terms Supporters said the bill would ensure towns frustrated by a lack of facilities and resources from CMS can provide their own in the form of charter schools. — Jim Morrill And Ann Doss Helms, charlotteobserver, "'The towns have asked for a divorce.' Mecklenburg charter bill moves closer to passage," 31 May 2018 Although frustrated by the news, Dillashaw will still defend his title in an August rematch with Cody Garbrandt. — Christopher Cason, GQ, "The Real-Life Diet of T.J. Dillashaw, UFC Champion and Future Ironman Triathlete," 14 May 2018 Feeling frustrated by the last round of student walkouts, Nikolai Janchik and Andrew Stutesman set out to organize their own effort at their St. Charles high school. — Sarah Freishtat, Aurora Beacon-News, "Second Amendment rights walkout was 'most incredible moment' for St. Charles high school organizers," 12 May 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.

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Dictionary Entries near frustrate

Statistics for frustrate

Last Updated

14 Jan 2019

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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)