I. ˈfrəˌstrāt, chiefly Brit (ˌ) ̷ ̷ˈ ̷ ̷; usu -ād.+V transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English frustraten, from Latin frustratus, past participle of frustrare, frustrari to deceive, disappoint, frustrate, from frustra in error, in vain; akin to Latin fraud-, fraus deception, fraud — more at fraud
1.
a. : to check, balk, or defeat in an endeavor or purpose : prevent from attaining
frustrated by army routine — Darrell Berrigan
frustrated by a blank wall of suspicion … and bureaucratic inertia — H.W.Carter
b. : to induce feelings of frustration or discouragement in
brought the short story to a harsh perfection that frustrates contemporary short-story writers — Alfred Kazin
the story of a personality frustrated by the practical temper of America — J.D.Hart
2.
a. : to make ineffectual : bring to nothing : defeat , baffle , foil
nature … supports as well as frustrates our lofty aspirations — H.J.Muller
illness frustrated his plans for college
did all they could to frustrate … the inquiry — William McFee
b. : to make null or ineffectual : make invalid or of no effect : nullify
Synonyms:
thwart , balk , foil , baffle , outwit , circumvent : frustrate indicates a check, repelling, defeating of a sort that makes efforts vain, ineffectual, often with ego depreciation
if waves of black pessimism swept over him in those unhappy later years when his ambitions were hopelessly frustrated, there was provocation enough — V.L.Parrington
thwart may suggest a defeating, checking, or frustrating by obstructing one's course with some block or barrier
his hatred of pioneer life and all its conditions, those conditions that were thwarting his creative life — Van Wyck Brooks
I was anxious about her but I did not like to thwart her in her present mood — Rose Macaulay
balk likewise indicates frustrating by obstacles and obstructions, especially those that hamper or hobble
these regulations frequently balked the efforts of our Intelligence Corps to pry vital information from prisoners — Saturday Review
I've always been balked or bullied out of having what I wanted — Ellen Glasgow
foil indicates checking or defeating with galling or disheartening discomfiture
foiled, he sank down again — Robert Browning
baffle indicates frustrating defeat by something confusing, perplexing, and vexing
such knotty problems of alleys … such sphinx's riddles of streets … as must, I conceive, baffle the au̇dacity of porters — Thomas De Quincey
all these complexities and bonds that baffled him — James Boyd
outwit and circumvent are more likely to stress the fact of defeat or escape by greater wit, craft, ingenuity, perception, or stratagem and less likely to suggest resulting disposition or attitude
the skill with which she had hoodwinked and outwitted every statesman in Europe during fifty years — J.R.Green
the Defiance was an opposition boat and had been refused a license to carry passengers on San Francisco Bay. But her captain had a plan to circumvent the dastardly port officials — Julian Dana
II. adjective
Etymology: Middle English frustrat, from Latin frustratus, past participle
1.
a. : balked in some endeavor, purpose, or action : frustrated , baffled
tore at the lock, frustrate in fear — G.D.Brown
frustrate and unhappy lovers — Elinor Wylie
b. : reflecting or indicating frustration
turned a frustrate eye upon me
gave him a frustrate look
2. : of no effect : vain , unprofitable , null
makes love itself seem frustrate , vulgar, or disgusting — W.Y.Tindall
his frustrate and unhopeful quest — M.G.Bishop
III. ˈ ̷ ̷ˌ ̷ ̷ noun
( -s )
: a person who is frustrated