frustrate
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: ipa: /fɹʌˈstɹeɪt/
ipa: /ˈfɹʌsˌtɹeɪt/
rhymes: (UK) -eɪt
Forms: form: frustrates
form: frustrating
form: frustrated
form: frustrated
Etymology: From Middle English frustraten (“to prevent, disappoint, render useless”), from Latin frūstrātus, perfect passive participle of frūstrō (“I deceive”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix). Compare French frustrer.
Senses: examples: text: It frustrates me to do all this work and then lose it all.
glosses: To disappoint or defeat; to vex by depriving of something expected or desired.
examples: text: My clumsy fingers frustrate my typing efforts.
text: 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.
ref: 1895, Frank Frankfort Moore, chapter VI, in One Fair Daughter, volume 1, pages 234–235:
text: 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.
ref: 2019 October 9, Farhad Manjoo, “Dealing With China Isn’t Worth the Moral Cost”, in New York Times:
synonyms: word: behedge
word: blunt
word: delay
word: difficult
word: diminish
word: forestay
word: interfere
word: intervene
word: forslow
word: frustrate
word: get in the way
word: hamper
word: handicap
word: hinder
word: hold up
word: hurt
word: impair
word: impede
word: incommode
word: lessen
word: let
word: mar
word: obstruct
word: overslaugh
word: preclude
word: prevene
word: prevent
word: prohibit
word: reduce
word: restrict
word: retard
word: slow down
word: stay
word: stymie
word: thwart
word: thwarten
word: umbeset
word: undermine
word: weaken
word: worsen
glosses: To hinder or thwart.
examples: text: This test frustrates me because if I fail, it'll destroy my grade.
synonyms: word: aggravate
word: annoy
word: rankle
word: ruffle
word: sting
word: antagonize
word: bother
word: disgruntle
word: botherate
word: bug
word: get
word: grate
word: burn up
word: bedevil
word: cheese off
word: devil
word: exasperate
word: frustrate
word: get up
word: grotch
word: hack off
word: hassle
word: irk
word: irritate
word: jazz
word: molest
word: mommick
word: nark
word: nerve
word: pee off
word: peeve
word: persecute
word: pique
word: piss off
word: provoke
word: rile
word: rile up
word: roil
word: storm
word: test someone's patience
word: tick off
word: trouble
word: try one's patience
word: vex
word: wind up
word: Idioms:
word: boil someone's piss
word: chap someone's hide
word: get on someone's nerves
word: get on someone's tits
word: get on someone's wick
word: get someone's back up
word: get someone's dander up
word: get someone's goat
word: get someone's Irish up
word: get someone's nanny
word: get someone's nanny-goat
word: get under one's goat
word: get under someone's skin
word: give someone the shits
word: grind one's gears
word: harsh one's mellow
word: put someone's back up
word: raise someone's hackles
word: rub someone the wrong way
word: rub up the wrong way
word: ruffle someone's feathers
word: tee off
word: torque off
glosses: To cause stress or annoyance.
Synonyms: confound
Derived terms: frustratable
frustratee
frustrately
frustrater
frustrative
refrustrate