frustrate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to make (plans, efforts, etc.) worthless or of no avail; defeat; nullify.
The student's indifference frustrated the teacher's efforts to help him.
- Synonyms:
- circumvent, foil, balk
-
to disappoint or thwart (a person).
a talented woman whom life had frustrated.
verb (used without object)
adjective
verb
-
to hinder or prevent (the efforts, plans, or desires) of; thwart
-
to upset, agitate, or tire
her constant complaints began to frustrate him
adjective
Related Words
See thwart.
Other Word Forms
- frustrater noun
- frustratingly adverb
- frustrative adjective
- refrustrate verb (used with object)
Etymology
Origin of frustrate
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin frustrātus, past participle of frustrārī, verbal derivative of frustrā “in vain”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Sauer couldn’t give a straight answer, which seemed to frustrate the justice.
From Slate • Apr. 1, 2026
This matters because much of the inflation and stagnation that frustrate households today isn’t about demand.
From Barron's • Feb. 2, 2026
“This isn’t what we expected in any way, and it seems to frustrate our expectations. I can’t see most people supporting this,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 4, 2026
Kurti claimed it was "the greatest victory in the history of the country" – and said he expected opposition parties to cooperate, rather than frustrate, this time around.
From BBC • Dec. 28, 2025
A thing we cannot see can exert pressure, can frustrate my wish to fill a vessel with water if I were dumb enough to leave my finger on the neck.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
