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
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.
Different methodologies and outcomes for the Gauge and Big Data + Panel frustrate TV operators and confuse marketers looking to allocate spending as next month’s upfront ad sales events approach, according to Marshall.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026
It comes as the 55-year-old is in an ongoing legal dispute with Pride in London after he was accused of trying to frustrate the investigation into his conduct.
From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026
Sauer couldn’t give a straight answer, which seemed to frustrate the justice.
From Slate • Apr. 1, 2026
She also saw her players start to let calls and miscommunications frustrate them: “I didn’t think our next-play speed was as good as it has been, and it affects you,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026
It was excitement she felt, not restlessness, and she would not allow this evening to frustrate her.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
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.
