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
The passage is a victory for community members who were outraged by Allen’s death and frustrated by a history of safety issues at some convenience stores. Elliot Hughes, Journal Sentinel, 19 Mar. 2024 Ten days later, Strain was still missing and his parents were starting to get frustrated with the investigation, which has seen delays in releasing pertinent footage. Rebecca Aizin, Peoplemag, 19 Mar. 2024 Vasquez said he was frustrated by the lack of awareness among large mezcal production companies moving into Oaxaca that benefit from the sprawling agave fields but have yet to support the communities affected by fire. Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2024 Boeing is frustrating the CEOs of American Airlines, Southwest, and more. Melvin Backman, Quartz, 13 Mar. 2024 Are you frustrated by that aspect of the news cycle? Mikey O'Connell, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Mar. 2024 Others quit, frustrated that Ms. Burkhart seemed disorganized and impossible to please. Kate Zernike, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2024 Proponents of the bill say the changes are crucial to ensuring building safety and resiliency against flooding near Florida’s coast — and that local governments can sometimes frustrate that goal by preventing old structures from being knocked down. Aaron Leibowitz, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2024 Democratic Election Judge Rolanda Darby said that some voters for whom the center is their preferred polling place may have been frustrated, but the issue did not affect very many. Cody Copeland, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Mar. 2024
Adjective
Some colleges offer students their own aid forms after FAFSA delays frustrate families As of this week, the U.S. Department of Education said nearly 4 million forms have been successfully submitted. The Enquirer, 23 Feb. 2024 Learn more: Best personal loans Colleges help with their own forms:Some colleges offer students their own aid forms after FAFSA delays frustrate families What's the Department of Education doing? Medora Lee, USA TODAY, 21 Feb. 2024 Though polling in third place overall, Chega could serve as a kingmaker for a conservative coalition — or frustrate efforts to form a government by parties that refuse to partner with it. Catarina Fernandes Martins, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024 The Dominican Republic seemed content to sit deep and frustrate the US as Korbin Albert hit the underside of the crossbar at the end of the first half. George Ramsay, CNN, 21 Feb. 2024 Drugstores also have been dealing with several issues that frustrate customers. Tom Murphy, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2023 In refusing to tie up loose ends or even explain exactly what our protagonists are up against, the writer-director doesn’t frustrate expectations so much as whet appetite for future installments where those concerns will presumably be addressed. Dennis Harvey, Variety, 5 Oct. 2023 Home prices rose in July as low supply continued to frustrate buyers. Nicole Friedman, WSJ, 26 Sep. 2023 That imperative meant using the United Kingdom’s wealth and manpower to build coalitions with like-minded states to frustrate would-be European hegemons. David Reynolds, Foreign Affairs, 8 May 2020

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 28 Mar. 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)

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