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.
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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:
That may frustrate reformers, but it’s democracy working as designed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 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
They raise costs, squeeze margins, and frustrate managers.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 6, 2026
People always bring up the enormous amount of money have spent and some argue City's football can be boring at times - and, yes, that does frustrate lots of fans.
From BBC ● May 15, 2026
You would help these men to hunt me and frustrate me in my designs!
From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker
"As much as it frustrates me, this process takes time. And on the advice of my doctors, I won't be able to return to the Senate floor to vote quite yet."
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
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
This is a fact that frustrates me sometimes.
From "A Rover's Story" by Jasmine Warga
In an earnings call Wednesday, Tesla executives responded to questions from individual investors frustrated by the slow rollout of its Robotaxi ride-hailing service, which expanded to its seventh city in July.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
Last week, the Australian government said it was "deeply frustrated and bitterly disappointed" more serious charges had not been pursued over the deaths.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
“It’s just trying to keep myself from being frustrated and knowing that our offense is so good that we’re in every game,” Sheehan said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
"I started thinking about this because I was frustrated by how mineral sunscreen looks on my own skin," said Addae.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 20, 2026
But for now, Sophie was stuck in high school, feeling frustrated and stifled.
From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
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
It’s a frustrating truth that preparation and hard work don’t always protect us from how unforgiving life can be.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
Managing director Brian Thomson said while it was recognised it would be "frustrating" for passengers, extending the ferry's period in drydock was "necessary for safety and operational reliability".
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
For critics, Andrew Tate became a symbol of a frustrating reality that emerged in the years after the #MeToo movement: the gap between public condemnation and meaningful accountability.
From Salon ● Jul. 19, 2026
“In their youth, mortals behave more like nymphs. Adulthood seems impossibly distant, let alone the enfeeblement of old age. But ponderously, inevitably, it overtakes you. I find it a frustrating, humbling, infuriating experience.”
From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull
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.
