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Definition of frustrate verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

frustrate

verb
 
/frʌˈstreɪt/
 
/ˈfrʌstreɪt/
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they frustrate
 
/frʌˈstreɪt/
 
/ˈfrʌstreɪt/
he / she / it frustrates
 
/frʌˈstreɪts/
 
/ˈfrʌstreɪts/
past simple frustrated
 
/frʌˈstreɪtɪd/
 
/ˈfrʌstreɪtɪd/
past participle frustrated
 
/frʌˈstreɪtɪd/
 
/ˈfrʌstreɪtɪd/
-ing form frustrating
 
/frʌˈstreɪtɪŋ/
 
/ˈfrʌstreɪtɪŋ/
jump to other results
  1. frustrate somebody to make somebody feel annoyed or impatient because they cannot do or achieve what they want
    • What frustrates him is that there's too little money to spend on the project.
    Topics Feelingsc1
  2. frustrate somebody/something to prevent somebody from doing something; to prevent something from happening or succeeding synonym thwart
    • The rescue attempt was frustrated by bad weather.
    • He tried to frustrate his political opponents by denying them access to the media.
    Extra Examples
    • She felt great resentment at having her ambition frustrated.
    • Unions are being frustrated in their demands for recognition.
    Topics Difficulty and failurec2
  3. Word Originlate Middle English: from Latin frustrat- ‘disappointed’, from the verb frustrare, from frustra ‘in vain’.
See frustrate in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee frustrate in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
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adjective
 
 
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