Skip to content
ontologydriven
Sign out

Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

frustrate en · VERB · etymology 1

Pronunciation

  • (Southern-England) audio
  • /ˈfɹʌsˌtɹeɪt/ (US)
  • /fɹʌˈstɹeɪt/ (UK)

Etymology

From Middle English frustraten (“to prevent, disappoint, render useless”), from Latin frūstrātus, perfect passive participle of frūstrō (“to deceive”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix). Compare French frustrer.

Meanings

  1. (transitive) To disappoint or defeat; to vex by depriving of something expected or desired.
    • It frustrates me to do all this work and then lose it all.
  2. (transitive) To hinder or thwart.
    • With its far larger population, China’s economy will inevitably come to eclipse ours, but that is hardly a mortal threat. In climate change, the world faces a huge collective-action problem that will require global cooperation. According to this view, treating China like an adversary will only frustrate our own long-term goals. 2019 October 9, Farhad Manjoo, “Dealing With China Isn’t Worth the Moral Cost”, in New York Times:
    • My clumsy fingers frustrate my typing efforts.
    • Perhaps it was the too-tooing of the youth on the coach horn which frustrated the proposal, and made it appear ludicrous rather than insultive to her ears. 1895, Frank Frankfort Moore, chapter VI, in One Fair Daughter, volume 1, pages 234–235:
  3. (transitive) To cause stress or annoyance.
    • This test frustrates me because if I fail, it'll destroy my grade.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
frustrates Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
frustrated Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
frustrated Tense=Past lexicographic
frustrating Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic

Deriveds

frustrater · frustrately · refrustrate · frustrative · frustratable · frustratee

Synonyms

put someone's back up · prohibit · rub up the wrong way · retard · try one's patience · get on someone's tits · forslow · pee off · nerve · hamper · get someone's nanny-goat · umbeset · intervene · tee off · stay · peeve · cheese off · test someone's patience · sting · tick off · ruffle · hassle · mar · wind up · burn someone's ass · aggravate · get on someone's wick · incommode · impede · exasperate · rile up · thwart · rub someone the wrong way · hinder · dash · prevene · restrict · antagonize · get · botherate · nettle · handicap · get someone's back up · reduce · disgruntle · worsen · foreclose · interfere · get up · get someone's goat · get under someone's skin · behedge · get someone's dander up · nark · diminish · overslaugh · burn up · hack off · frustrate · storm · raise someone's hackles · difficult · acerbate · stymie · bedevil · confound · Idioms: · jazz · hold up · grate · irk · boil someone's piss · peeve off · piss off · ruffle someone's feathers · chap someone's hide · trouble · lessen · get someone's nanny · get someone's Irish up · weaken · torque off · get in the way · preclude · forestay · prevent · molest · crimp · get under one's goat · grind one's gears · undermine · provoke · impair · let · frustrate · annoy · bother · roil · harsh one's mellow · delay · grotch · bug · mommick · retroact · obstruct · rile · give someone the shits · devil · rankle · blunt · irritate · get on someone's nerves · slow down · hurt · thwarten · vex · persecute · pique

Translations (51)

fi tehdä tyhjäksi (to hinder) · el ματαιώνω (to disappoint or defeat) · pl frustrować (to disappoint or defeat) · fi hermostuttaa (cause annoyance) · cmn 令人失望 (to disappoint or defeat) · mi whakapōnānā (to hinder) · cmn 挫折 (to disappoint or defeat) · eo ĉagreni (cause annoyance) · sh frustrírati (to disappoint or defeat) · ru мешать (to hinder) · mi whakataunahua (to hinder) · cmn 令人煩惱 /令人烦恼 (cause annoyance) · mi whakahēmanawa (to disappoint or defeat) · be расчароўваць (to disappoint or defeat) · ca frustrar (to disappoint or defeat) · mi whakakōpekapeka (to hinder) · ru расстраивать (to disappoint or defeat) · fi lannistaa (to disappoint or defeat) · cmn 阻撓 /阻挠 (to hinder) · nl frustreren (to disappoint or defeat) · fi vaikeuttaa (to hinder) · de frustrieren (to disappoint or defeat) · pl pokrzyżować plany (to hinder) · el ματαιώνω (to hinder) · cmn 使期望落空 (to disappoint or defeat) · ru обламывать (to disappoint or defeat) · he תִּסְכֵּל (to disappoint or defeat) · ar فَشَّلَ (to hinder) · bg възпрепятствам (to hinder) · ru препятствовать (to hinder) · bg разочаровам (to disappoint or defeat) · cmn 造成壓力 /造成压力 (cause annoyance) · nl frustreren (to hinder) · grc ἐκκρούω (to hinder) · pl sfrustrować (to disappoint or defeat) · cmn 惹惱 /惹恼 (cause annoyance) · cmn 妨礙 /妨碍 (to hinder) · eo frustri (to disappoint or defeat) · fi hidastaa (to hinder) · es frustrar (to disappoint or defeat) · fi haitata (to hinder) · bg осуетявам (to hinder) · grc ἐκκρούω (to disappoint or defeat) · fi estää (to hinder) · pl krzyżować plany (to hinder) · fi turhauttaa (to disappoint or defeat) · ru разочаровывать (to disappoint or defeat) · pt frustrar (to disappoint or defeat) · fr frustrer (to disappoint or defeat) · cmn 阻礙 /阻碍 (to hinder) · fi olla tiellä (to hinder)

frustrate en · ADJ · etymology 2

Etymology

From Middle English frustrat (“prevented, disappointed, rendered useless”, adjective as well as past participle of frustraten (see Etymology 1)), from Latin frūstrātus, perfect passive participle of frūstrō (“to deceive”), see -ate (adjective-forming suffix).

Meanings

  1. Ineffectual; useless; fruitless.
    • In all eternity I had one chance One few years' term of gracious human life […] And this sole chance was frustrate from my birth A mockery, a delusion; […] 1874, James Thomson, The City of Dreadful Night, volume XVI:
    • Our frustrate search. c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i]:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
more frustrate Degree=Cmp lexicographic
most frustrate Degree=Sup lexicographic

Translations (8)

fi turha (ineffectual, useless) · cmn 無用的 /无用的 (ineffectual, useless) · cmn 無效的 /无效的 (ineffectual, useless) · fi hedelmätön (ineffectual, useless) · ru тщетный (ineffectual, useless) · cmn 徒勞無功的 /徒劳无功的 (ineffectual, useless) · fi hyödytön (ineffectual, useless) · bg тщетен (ineffectual, useless)