Word
frustrate
Phoneticsfrus·trate, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈfɹəsˌtɹeɪt/
UK/fɹʌstɹˈeɪt/
Definitions
01to annoy or discourage
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to make you feel annoyed or less confident because you cannot do what you are trying to do.
v. to cause someone to feel distressed, annoyed, or impatient as a result of being unable to change or achieve something.
“It frustrates me when I can't remember the right word in English.”
“The lack of clear communication from the management team continues to frustrate the staff, leading to a significant drop in office morale.”
Synonyms
02to prevent or block
C1 · Advanced Formal
v. to stop a plan or an effort from being successful.
v. to prevent a plan or attempted action from progressing or succeeding; to thwart.
“The bad weather frustrated our plans to go hiking this weekend.”
“The opposition party managed to frustrate the government's attempts to pass the new tax law through a series of procedural delays.”
Antonyms
Real-World Examples
“Francine’s house moves frustrate her mother (“You’ve quite ruined my new address book, what with all the crossings-out”); then Ralph wants to move on too.” “What frustrates him is how long they've been there.” “It frustrates me, but it’s not his fault.” 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.
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).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/frustrate