verb
frustrate
fruh-STRAYT
Frustrate (verb) means to prevent someone from achieving something, causing annoyance or disappointment. Example: “Bad weather frustrated their plans for a picnic.”
verb
1
To prevent someone from achieving something, causing annoyance or disappointment.
"Bad weather frustrated their plans for a picnic."
"She was frustrated by the constant delays at work."
2
To block or defeat a plan or effort.
"The defense frustrated every attack the other team tried."
How to use frustrate
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo stop someone from succeeding, in a way that makes them annoyed or disappointed.
Common pairings
frustrate an attempt
frustrate someone's plans
feel frustrated
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Word forms
- Third person singular
- frustrates
- Past tense
- frustrated
- Comparative
- more frustrate
- Superlative
- most frustrate
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
Bad weather _____ their plans for a picnic.
Etymology
From Latin frūstrō, "to deceive, disappoint," via Middle English frustraten.
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for frustrate
See all rhymes for frustrate →Frequently asked questions
What does “frustrate” mean?
The word “frustrate” means to prevent someone from achieving something, causing annoyance or disappointment. In plain terms, to stop someone from succeeding, in a way that makes them annoyed or disappointed.
How do you pronounce “frustrate”?
“Frustrate” is pronounced fruh-STRAYT (/ˈfɹʌsˌtɹeɪt/ in IPA).
How do you use “frustrate” in a sentence?
Here is “frustrate” used in a sentence: “Bad weather frustrated their plans for a picnic.”
What is another word for “frustrate”?
Words with a similar meaning to “frustrate” include confound.
What part of speech is “frustrate”?
“Frustrate” is a verb.
Where does the word “frustrate” come from?
The word “frustrate” comes from Latin. From Latin frūstrō, "to deceive, disappoint," via Middle English frustraten.
How many meanings does “frustrate” have?
“Frustrate” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to prevent someone from achieving something, causing annoyance or disappointment.
