frustrate

1 of 2

verb

frus·​trate ˈfrə-ˌstrāt How to pronounce frustrate (audio)
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
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
To manage potentially long lines that could quickly frustrate impatient shoppers, Ami will allow customers to order on the café’s dedicated WeChat Mini Program. Denni Hu, WWD, 27 Sep. 2024 But the moment that frustrated me the most occurs at the end of the first episode, in which Noah has just finished his sermon when a few Jewish mothers swarm him in hopes of introducing their single daughters to them. Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 27 Sep. 2024
Adjective
There are very few things that frustrate lawn-loving homeowners like moles. Chris McKeown, The Enquirer, 3 Aug. 2024 In the meantime, Ukraine’s Western partners should continue helping Ukraine frustrate Russia’s aggressive designs on the battlefield and gathering evidence of its crimes. Brian Finucane, Foreign Affairs, 8 May 2023 See all Example Sentences for frustrate 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'frustrate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

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

Dictionary Entries Near frustrate

Cite this Entry

“Frustrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frustrate. Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.

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 How to pronounce frustrate (audio)
frustrated; frustrating
: to induce feelings of frustration in

Legal Definition

frustrate

transitive verb
frus·​trate ˈfrəs-ˌtrāt How to pronounce frustrate (audio)
frustrated; frustrating
: to make invalid or ineffectual : defeat
the remedial purposes of the Workers' Compensation Act should not be frustrated by rigid technical standardsPalmer v. Bath Iron Works Corp., 559 A.2d 340 (1989)

More from Merriam-Webster on frustrate

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