frustrate

frustrate
frustrater, n.frustratingly, adv.frustrative /frus"tray tiv, -treuh-/, adj.
/frus"trayt/, v., frustrated, frustrating, adj.
v.t.
1. to make (plans, efforts, etc.) worthless or of no avail; defeat; nullify: The student's indifference frustrated the teacher's efforts to help him.
2. to disappoint or thwart (a person): a talented woman whom life had frustrated.
v.i.
3. to become frustrated: His trouble is that he frustrates much too easily.
adj.
4. frustrated.
[1400-50; late ME < L frustratus, ptp. of frustrari, v. deriv. of frustra in vain]
Syn. 1. balk, foil, circumvent. See thwart.

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  • Frustrate — Frus trate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Frustrated}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Frustrating}.] 1. To bring to nothing; to prevent from attaining a purpose; to disappoint; to defeat; to baffle; as, to frustrate a plan, design, or attempt; to frustrate the will or… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • frustrate — frustrate, thwart, foil, baffle, balk, circumvent, outwit mean either to defeat a person attempting or hoping to achieve an end or satisfy a desire or, in some cases, to defeat another s desire. To frustrate is to make vain or ineffectual all… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • frustrate — [frus′trāt΄] vt. frustrated, frustrating [ME frustraten < L frustratus, pp. of frustrare, frustrari, to disappoint, deceive < frustra, in vain: for IE base see FRAUD] 1. to cause to have no effect; bring to nothing; counteract; nullify [to… …   English World dictionary

  • Frustrate — Frus trate, a. [L. frustratus, p. p. of frustrare, frustrari, to deceive, frustrate, fr. frustra in vain, witout effect, in erorr, prob. for frudtra and akin to fraus, E. fraud.] Vain; ineffectual; useless; unprofitable; null; voil; nugatory; of… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • frustrate — frus·trate / frəs ˌtrāt/ vt frus·trat·ed, frus·trat·ing: to make invalid or ineffectual: defeat the remedial purposes of the Workers Compensation Act should not be frustrated by rigid technical standards Palmer v. Bath Iron Works Corp., 559 A.2d… …   Law dictionary

  • frustrate — (v.) mid 15c., from L. frustratus, pp. of frustrari to deceive, disappoint, frustrate, from frustra (adv.) in vain, in error, related to fraus injury, harm (see FRAUD (Cf. fraud)). Related: Frustrated; frustrating …   Etymology dictionary

  • frustrate — [v] thwart, disappoint annul, arrest, baffle, balk, bar, beat, block, cancel, check, circumvent, confront, conquer, counter, counteract, cramp, cramp one’s style*, crimp, dash, dash one’s hope*, defeat, depress, discourage, dishearten, foil,… …   New thesaurus

  • frustrate — ► VERB 1) prevent (a plan or action) from progressing or succeeding. 2) prevent (someone) from doing or achieving something. 3) cause to feel dissatisfied or unfulfilled. DERIVATIVES frustrated adjective frustrating adjective frustration noun …   English terms dictionary

  • frustrate */ — UK [frʌˈstreɪt] / US [ˈfrʌˌstreɪt] verb [transitive] Word forms frustrate : present tense I/you/we/they frustrate he/she/it frustrates present participle frustrating past tense frustrated past participle frustrated 1) to make someone feel annoyed …   English dictionary

  • frustrate — I. transitive verb (frustrated; frustrating) Etymology: Middle English, from Latin frustratus, past participle of frustrare to deceive, frustrate, from frustra in error, in vain Date: 15th century 1. a. to balk or defeat in an endeavor b. to… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • frustrate — frus|trate [ frʌ,streıt ] verb transitive * to make someone feel annoyed and impatient by preventing them from doing or getting something: She has always been frustrated by her inability to draw. Activists and reformers are frustrated by the… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

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