frustrate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
frustrates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
frustrated,
past participle, past
-
frustrating
present participle
-
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)
-
frustrates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
frustrated,
past participle, past
-
frustrating
present participle
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:
He extended his partnership with captain Pat Cummins in the morning session to 86 and then expertly controlled a stand of 134 with number 10 Nathan Lyon to frustrate and tire South Africa's bowlers.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
It said she was engaged in “gamesmanship… familiar in capital litigation … designed to frustrate … ‘the State’s strong interest in finality and the surviving victims’ right to closure.”
From Slate ● Oct. 1, 2026
Data-center construction may not have to collapse in a full-blown AI bust to frustrate the plans of companies hoping for a long boom.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
If he can frustrate Uruguay the same way, Cape Verde could be through to the round of 32.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2026
You would help these men to hunt me and frustrate me in my designs!
From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker
That frustrates some locals, who say affluent keyholders enjoy one of the island’s most valuable resources at the expense of the public.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
But there is one thing that frustrates Randolph: “That he waited two years to come play for me.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 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
"He has only been able to have weekend leave for the past three weeks, in a wheelchair, which frustrates him greatly: it feels like a sad step backward."
From BBC ● Apr. 15, 2026
I know where she’s coming from with all of this, but it still frustrates me.
From "I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter" by Erika L. Sánchez
As Fielder clarifies the punchline, Holmes breaks down in tears across from him, frustrated that she can’t understand.
From Salon ● Oct. 17, 2026
After not seeing any action as a true freshman, he was frustrated by the lack of playing time but stayed the course, working to see the field the following season.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
It was a time when Flynn, who was eventually diagnosed with bipolar disorder, was insecure, frustrated with his life and struggling with his mental health.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
Jefferies analyst Brent Thill said he’s getting slightly frustrated that his agent is blocked from sites including Home Depot and Spectrum.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
He didn’t need another reason to be frustrated with his father.
From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young
Smesko also pushed to rebuild Reese’s stroke, a frustrating and slow process, and it’s starting to pay off.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
How frustrating that he of all people — the dark prince of pranks — may be Holmes’ latest patsy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026
If I was only performing other people’s words, I’d find that frustrating, I think.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
But more frustrating is the novel’s ultimate affect.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
The details of their journey and arrival there are not known beyond the fact that the Lord of Hades was perfectly aware of their intention and amused himself by frustrating it in a novel way.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
