Dictionary

1frustrate

verb frus·trate \ˈfrəs-ˌtrāt\

: 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

frus·trat·edfrus·trat·ing

Full Definition of FRUSTRATE

transitive verb
1
a :  to balk or defeat in an endeavor
b :  to induce feelings of discouragement in
2
a (1) :  to make ineffectual :  bring to nothing (2) :  impede, obstruct
b :  to make invalid or of no effect
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Origin of FRUSTRATE

Middle English, from Latin frustratus, past participle of frustrare to deceive, frustrate, from frustra in error, in vain
First Known Use: 15th century

Synonym Discussion of FRUSTRATE

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>.

Rhymes with FRUSTRATE

abate, ablate, adnate, aerate, age-mate, agnate, airdate, airfreight, alate, arête, await, backdate, baldpate, bandmate, baseplate, bedmate, bedplate, berate, birthrate, bistate, bite plate, blank slate, blind date, blue plate, bookplate, breastplate, casemate, castrate, caudate, cell plate, cerate, cheapskate, checkmate, chelate, chordate, citrate, classmate, clavate, cognate, collate, comate, conflate, connate, Cook Strait, cordate, create, cremate, crenate, curate, cut-rate, deadweight, death rate, debate, deflate, delate, dentate, derate, dictate, dilate, disrate, donate, doorplate, downstate, drawplate, elate, end plate, equate, estate, faceplate, falcate, fellate, filtrate, first-rate, fishplate, fixate, flatmate, floodgate, fluxgate, flyweight, folate, formate, gelate, gestate, ground state, gyrate, hamate, hastate, headgate, Hell Gate, helpmate, home plate, hot plate, housemate, hydrate, ice-skate, inflate, ingrate, inmate, innate, instate, irate, jailbait, Kuwait, lactate, lapse rate, legate, liftgate, ligate, lightweight, liquate, lobate, locate, lunate, lustrate, lych-gate, lyrate, magnate, makebate, makeweight, mandate, messmate, migrate, misstate, mutate, nameplate, narrate, negate, Newgate, nitrate, notate, nutate, oblate, of late, orate, ornate, ovate, palmate, palpate, peltate, phonate, pinnate, placate, playdate, playmate, plicate, portrait, postdate, predate, prime rate, probate, prolate, pronate, prorate, prostate, prostrate, punctate, pupate, quadrate, rain date, ramate, rebate, red-bait, relate, restate, roommate, rostrate, rotate, saccate, schoolmate, seatmate, sedate, sensate, septate, serrate, shipmate, short weight, slave state, soleplate, soul mate, spectate, spicate, squamate, stagnate, stalemate, stellate, striate, sublate, substrate, sulcate, summate, tailgate, teammate, Tebet, tenth-rate, ternate, terneplate, testate, third-rate, tinplate, to date, toeplate, tollgate, tractate, translate, tristate, truncate, unweight, update, uprate, upstate, V-8, vacate, vallate, valvate, vibrate, virgate, vulgate, whitebait, workmate

2frustrate

adjective

Definition of FRUSTRATE

:  characterized by frustration

First Known Use of FRUSTRATE

15th century
FRUSTRATE Defined for Kids

frustrate

verb frus·trate \ˈfrə-ˌstrāt\
frus·trat·edfrus·trat·ing

Definition of FRUSTRATE for Kids

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

frustrate

transitive verb frus·trate \ˈfrəs-ˌtrāt\
frus·trat·edfrus·trat·ing

Medical Definition of FRUSTRATE

:  to induce feelings of frustration in

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