frus·trate
ˈfrə-ˌstrāt 
frustrated; frustrating
1
a
: to balk or defeat in an endeavor
frustrated her opponents by her ball-handling
b
: to induce feelings of discouragement in
Not being able to find a job frustrated him.
: characterized by frustration
Examples of frustrate in a Sentence
Verb
It frustrated him to miss so many games because of injuries.
We've been frustrated by bureaucratic delays.
Bureaucratic delays have frustrated our efforts to resolve this problem.
The lack of investors has frustrated them in their efforts to expand the company.
Recent Examples on the Web
Sam Amick, New York Times, 19 May 2025
The naming practices can frustrate efforts to track the chemicals in food, to measure how much of the stuff people are taking in, and even to figure out precisely which chemicals a scientific study evaluated, researchers said.
—David Hilzenrath, CNN Money, 19 May 2025
Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 26 Apr. 2025
Sun Sentinel Tweaks to Florida’s Live Local Act may boost developers’ options but frustrate cities
Florida developers could gain more latitude from legislative bills this year that aim to piggyback off the state’s law to increase affordable housing.
—South Florida Sun Sentinel, Sun Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for frustrate
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Verb
Alex Caruso, the 6-foot-5 defensive savant who spent so much of the evening frustrating the 6-11 Nikola Jokić, was the real MVP of the night (Jokić had 20 points on 5-of-9 shooting, with nine rebounds, seven assists and five turnovers).
—Sam Amick, New York Times, 19 May 2025
The naming practices can frustrate efforts to track the chemicals in food, to measure how much of the stuff people are taking in, and even to figure out precisely which chemicals a scientific study evaluated, researchers said.
—David Hilzenrath, CNN Money, 19 May 2025
Adjective
If Eubank can control distance and frustrate Benn, the veteran could build an early lead.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 26 Apr. 2025
Sun Sentinel Tweaks to Florida’s Live Local Act may boost developers’ options but frustrate cities
Florida developers could gain more latitude from legislative bills this year that aim to piggyback off the state’s law to increase affordable housing.
—South Florida Sun Sentinel, Sun Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for frustrate
Cite this Entry
“Frustrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frustrate. Accessed 22 May. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
frustrate
transitive verb
frus·trate
ˈfrəs-ˌtrāt
frustrated; frustrating
: to induce feelings of frustration in
Legal Definition
frustrate
transitive verb
frus·trate
ˈfrəs-ˌtrāt
frustrated; frustrating
: to make invalid or ineffectual : defeat
the remedial purposes of the Workers' Compensation Act should not be frustrated by rigid technical standards—Palmer v. Bath Iron Works Corp., 559 A.2d 340 (1989)
Palmer v. Bath Iron Works Corp., 559 A.2d 340 (1989)Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
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