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
Synonym Usage
See thwart.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
frustratesimple
-
frustratessimple
-
have frustratedperfect
-
has frustratedperfect
-
am frustratingprogressive
-
are frustratingprogressive
-
is frustratingprogressive
-
have been frustratingperfect progressive
-
has been frustratingperfect progressive
Past
-
frustratedsimple
-
had frustratedperfect
-
was frustratingprogressive
-
were frustratingprogressive
-
had been frustratingperfect progressive
Future
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”
Explanation
When you frustrate someone, you do your best to annoy, confuse, or even torment that poor person. Maybe you constantly change your mind — that's sure to frustrate anyone who tries to make plans with you. If you have ever been frustrated while writing, you may have dropped your pen — or pushed away your keyboard — and stared angrily out the window, thinking, "How will I ever do this?" Well, that pent-up doubting that has made you stop is a sure sign you are frustrated. Plans, too, can be frustrated, like the snow that frustrates our efforts to run our errands.
Vocabulary lists containing frustrate
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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.
See Examples For:
Three in five homes listed for sale since January remain on the market, according to property portal Zoopla, as high mortgage rates frustrate potential buyers.
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026
They raise costs, squeeze margins, and frustrate managers.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 6, 2026
“There’s immense amount of pressure, and sometimes that pressure can get you and frustrate you in different ways,” said Clark.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 2, 2026
In fact, entire Reddit forums and YouTube channels are devoted to what’s called “scambaiting,” the practice of intentionally engaging with scammers to frustrate or troll them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 28, 2026
He used it to feed the plants and frustrate the slugs.
From "Beyond the Bright Sea" by Lauren Wolk
Angelenos don’t mind haters — it’s the type of city that frustrates residents even on its best days.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2026
The process -- and the sheer size of the state of 40 million people -- means California is always slow to finalize results, a fact that frustrates voters of all stripes.
From Barron's ● Jun. 5, 2026
It is that love for the United States that thoroughly frustrates those around the world who thought our country represented freedom and diversity.
From Salon ● May 22, 2026
The bank’s short-term focus on incoming data frustrates money-market participants and economists, but it also saves the RBA from fire storms that can rise up quickly when it gets things wrong.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2025
It is meant to comfort me, but it frustrates me instead.
From "Divergent" by Veronica Roth
When Olympic tickets went on sale in April, fans were shocked and frustrated at high prices, a 24% service fee and limited availability for key events.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
As for the drivers, there is no question that Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon are frustrated, but the reality is they do not have a lot of options.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
That poses a growing problem for consumers already frustrated by rising electricity bills.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
The fires at Wildberries have affected sellers reliant on the platform, some of whom have posted frustrated social media messages.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
But the way he had slumped over onto one elbow had signaled that he was feeling frustrated.
From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson
For Simon, her Parkinson’s battle has proved “difficult, frustrating, and sometimes frightening,” but not a complete obstacle to her life.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
Reflecting back, she realized the point is to learn how to communicate well with the people around you, even if the lack of clarity is frustrating.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
I know this might be frustrating to hear, but you did, in fact, do “everything right.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
"It's really frustrating knowing there is a treatment available which could save his life."
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
Theo is good at his job, but it’s terrifically frustrating for him right now.
From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman
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.
