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
Bishop Alemany baseball coach Randy Thompson has been known to frustrate Harvard-Westlake, and his son, Brody, had big game on Friday.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 21, 2026
This matters because much of the inflation and stagnation that frustrate households today isn’t about demand.
From Barron's • Feb. 2, 2026
Two things particularly frustrate supporters with VAR: decisions which come as a surprise and those which take far too long.
From BBC • Jan. 15, 2026
But now all of them, good and bad, frustrate me.
From "All The Bright Places" by Jennifer Niven
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.
