frustrate

1 of 2

verb

frus·​trate ˈfrə-ˌstrāt How to pronounce frustrate (audio)
frustrated; frustrating

transitive verb

1
a
: to balk or defeat in an endeavor
frustrated her opponents by her ball-handling
b
: to induce feelings of discouragement in
Not being able to find a job frustrated him.
2
a(1)
: to make ineffectual : bring to nothing
Illness frustrated his plans for college.
(2)
: impede, obstruct
The project was frustrated by government regulations.
b
: to make invalid or of no effect

frustrate

2 of 2

adjective

: characterized by frustration
Choose the Right Synonym for frustrate

frustrate, thwart, foil, baffle, balk mean to check or defeat another's plan or block achievement of a goal.

frustrate implies making vain or ineffectual all efforts however vigorous or persistent.

frustrated attempts at government reform

thwart suggests frustration or checking by crossing or opposing.

the army thwarted his attempt at a coup

foil implies checking or defeating so as to discourage further effort.

foiled by her parents, he stopped trying to see her

baffle implies frustration by confusing or puzzling.

baffled by the maze of rules and regulations

balk suggests the interposing of obstacles or hindrances.

officials felt that legal restrictions had balked their efforts to control crime

Examples of frustrate in a Sentence

Verb It frustrated him to miss so many games because of injuries. We've been frustrated by bureaucratic delays. Bureaucratic delays have frustrated our efforts to resolve this problem. The lack of investors has frustrated them in their efforts to expand the company.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Vista leaders have been frustrated that residents were sometimes denied access to facilities outside the city because of a lack of space and initially hoped to open the new site by the end of last year. Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2024 But, just weeks after dozens were injured in a shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl victory parade, Rep. Jo Ella Hoye, a Lenexa Democrat, said she was frustrated the bill was even being considered. Katie Bernard, Kansas City Star, 7 Mar. 2024 Meanwhile, voters are frustrated over the lack of progress and Republicans contend that unchecked liberal rule in California caused the crisis. Taryn Luna, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2024 The cyclical churn of ransomware gangs frustrates law enforcement agencies, cyberdefense officials and private researchers who have worked together for years to battle the many-headed Hydra of organized cybercrime. Joseph Menn, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024 He was frustrated that there were not other choices for the top of the presidential ticket, and was convinced that Mr. Biden was not entirely up to the duties of the office. Ruth Igielnik, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2024 American Fiction follows Monk (Wright), a Black author frustrated that his books don’t sell well while books filled with racial stereotypes do. Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 26 Feb. 2024 Set up to frustrate the Gunners by all means possible, the Magpies returned to the North East with a 0-0 draw. Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024 But after 56 years in the Bay, she is frustrated a deal couldn’t be reached for the team to stay. David Bernauer, The Mercury News, 24 Feb. 2024
Adjective
Though polling in third place overall, Chega could serve as a kingmaker for a conservative coalition — or frustrate efforts to form a government by parties that refuse to partner with it. Catarina Fernandes Martins, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024 The Dominican Republic seemed content to sit deep and frustrate the US as Korbin Albert hit the underside of the crossbar at the end of the first half. George Ramsay, CNN, 21 Feb. 2024 Drugstores also have been dealing with several issues that frustrate customers. Tom Murphy, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2023 In refusing to tie up loose ends or even explain exactly what our protagonists are up against, the writer-director doesn’t frustrate expectations so much as whet appetite for future installments where those concerns will presumably be addressed. Dennis Harvey, Variety, 5 Oct. 2023 Home prices rose in July as low supply continued to frustrate buyers. Nicole Friedman, WSJ, 26 Sep. 2023 That imperative meant using the United Kingdom’s wealth and manpower to build coalitions with like-minded states to frustrate would-be European hegemons. David Reynolds, Foreign Affairs, 8 May 2020 But Rydin points out that employees have concerns, too, including reduced availability, longer response times may frustrate clients and difficulty adapting to changes at work. Bryan Robinson, Forbes, 5 May 2023 Last month, the National Labor Relations Board issued five complaints against Amazon, one dealing with Bessemer, for a rule that union activists interpreted as a way to frustrate organizing activity. William Thornton | Wthornton@al.com, al, 6 June 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'frustrate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Adjective

Middle English, from Latin frustratus, past participle of frustrare to deceive, frustrate, from frustra in error, in vain

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of frustrate was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near frustrate

Cite this Entry

“Frustrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frustrate. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

frustrate

verb
frus·​trate
ˈfrəs-ˌtrāt
frustrated; frustrating
1
: to prevent from carrying out a purpose
tried to frustrate his opponents in their efforts
2
: to bring to nothing
the accident frustrated the plan

Medical Definition

frustrate

transitive verb
frus·​trate ˈfrəs-ˌtrāt How to pronounce frustrate (audio)
frustrated; frustrating
: to induce feelings of frustration in

Legal Definition

frustrate

transitive verb
frus·​trate ˈfrəs-ˌtrāt How to pronounce frustrate (audio)
frustrated; frustrating
: to make invalid or ineffectual : defeat
the remedial purposes of the Workers' Compensation Act should not be frustrated by rigid technical standardsPalmer v. Bath Iron Works Corp., 559 A.2d 340 (1989)

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