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frustrate

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

Definition of frustrate

 (Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : 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.
2a(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

adjective

Definition of frustrate (Entry 2 of 2)

: characterized by frustration
Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about frustrate

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Synonyms & Antonyms for frustrate

Synonyms: Verb

baffle, balk, beat, checkmate, discomfit, foil, thwart

Antonyms: Verb

advance, cultivate, encourage, forward, foster, further, nurture, promote

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Choose the Right Synonym for frustrate

Verb

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.
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Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

 What do vaping advocates say: American Vaping Association president Gregory Conley is frustrated by media coverage of the outbreak. — oregonlive, "Vaping death and outbreak of severe lung disease linked to marijuana oil in e-cigarettes: What we know," 5 Sep. 2019 Students enrolled in that program, which serves about 100 children every day from all of the District’s eight wards, have long been frustrated by their lack of access to a field, according to Bob Stowers, the longtime director of the club. — Hannah Natanson, Washington Post, "‘Why don’t we get the field?’: Use of playing field pits an elite private school against D.C. public schools," 1 Sep. 2019 Robin Lebowitz of Plantation is frustrated by misinformation and speculation circulating about the storm. — Cindy Krischer Goodman, sun-sentinel.com, "Hurricane Dorian anxiety? South Floridians find ways to cope with stress," 30 Aug. 2019 Guardiola was mightily frustrated by both Bournemouth's mean defence and the rare lack of quality shown by his own players. — SI.com, "Bournemouth vs Man City Preview: Where to Watch, Buy Tickets, Live Stream, Kick Off Time & Team News," 22 Aug. 2019 After jubilation at the success of their uprising against Rosselló, Puerto Rican protesters have been frustrated at the political infighting and paralysis that has followed. — Danica Coto, chicagotribune.com, "Puerto Ricans have no idea who will be the new governor on Friday after legislators delay vote on nominee," 1 Aug. 2019 After jubilation at the success of their uprising against Rosselló, Puerto Rican protesters have been frustrated at the political infighting and paralysis that's followed. — CBS News, "Puerto Rico governor's chosen successor may not be in place when Ricardo Rosselló resigns Friday," 1 Aug. 2019 Everyone was frustrated by the outcome of the border-funding debate. — Jonathan Blitzer, The New Yorker, "The Democrats’ Immigration Problem Is Bigger Than Donald Trump," 25 July 2019 For many years, rival leagues have been frustrated by the SEC’s self-serving scheduling philosophy. — Dan Wolken, USA TODAY, "Opinion: SEC needs to evolve football scheduling amid athletic department budget cuts," 15 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'frustrate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of frustrate

Verb

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

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for frustrate

Verb and Adjective

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

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More Definitions for frustrate

frustrate

verb
How to pronounce frustrate (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of frustrate

: to cause (someone) to feel angry, discouraged, or upset because of not being able to do something
: to prevent (efforts, plans, etc.) from succeeding : to keep (someone) from doing something

See the full definition for frustrate in the English Language Learners Dictionary

frustrate

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

Kids Definition of frustrate

1 : to cause to feel angry or discouraged The delays frustrated passengers.
2 : to prevent from succeeding Police frustrated the robbery.
3 : defeat entry 1 sense 2 The bad weather frustrated their plans for the beach.

frustrate

transitive verb

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