Frustrate

To cause feelings of anger, annoyance, or disappointment due to being hindered or unable to achieve something., To prevent someone from achieving their goals or desires., To make something ineffective or invalid.

Frustrate - Meanings

To cause feelings of anger, annoyance, or disappointment due to being hindered or unable to achieve something.

Example: Her constant interruptions frustrated me during the meeting.

Usage: formal/informalContext: workplace, personal relationships

Note: This is the most common meaning of 'frustrate' and can be used in various contexts.

To prevent someone from achieving their goals or desires.

Example: The technical issues frustrated his attempts to finish the project on time.

Usage: formalContext: professional settings, academic environments

Note: Often used in situations where obstacles or challenges hinder progress.

To make something ineffective or invalid.

Example: The changes in regulations frustrated their original plans for expansion.

Usage: formalContext: business, legal contexts

Note: Commonly used in discussions related to rules, regulations, or strategies.

Frustrate's synonyms

exasperate

To exasperate means to irritate or provoke someone to a high degree of annoyance.

Example: Her constant lateness exasperated her boss.

Note: Exasperate often implies a stronger sense of irritation or annoyance compared to frustrate.

irk

To irk means to annoy or irritate someone.

Example: The loud noises from the construction site irked the residents.

Note: Irk is more about causing annoyance or irritation rather than the sense of being thwarted or blocked, as in frustrate.

vex

To vex means to cause someone to feel annoyed, frustrated, or worried.

Example: The confusing instructions vexed the students.

Note: Vex carries a sense of causing distress or worry along with annoyance, which may not always be present in frustrate.

aggravate

To aggravate means to make a situation worse or more serious, especially by causing further irritation or annoyance.

Example: His constant interruptions aggravated the teacher during the lecture.

Note: Aggravate often implies making a situation more severe or intense, whereas frustrate is more about hindering progress or success.

Frustrate expressions, common phrases

At one's wit's end

Feeling extremely frustrated and not knowing what to do next.

Example: After trying to solve the problem for hours, she was at her wit's end.

Note: This phrase emphasizes the feeling of being completely stuck and out of ideas.

Drive someone up the wall

To annoy or frustrate someone to the point of exasperation.

Example: His constant complaints about trivial things are driving me up the wall.

Note: This phrase implies a continuous and escalating level of frustration caused by someone else's actions.

Hit a brick wall

To reach a point where progress is impossible or extremely difficult.

Example: I've been researching this topic for days, but I seem to have hit a brick wall.

Note: This phrase suggests a sudden and definitive halt in progress or success.

Tear one's hair out

To be extremely frustrated or exasperated.

Example: I've been trying to fix this computer issue all day, and I'm ready to tear my hair out.

Note: This phrase emphasizes the physical expression of frustration through a hyperbolic action.

Up the creek without a paddle

In a difficult or hopeless situation with no way out.

Example: With the deadline approaching and no solution in sight, we're up the creek without a paddle.

Note: This idiom conveys a sense of helplessness and desperation in a challenging circumstance.

Flogging a dead horse

Wasting time and effort on something that is hopeless or that cannot be changed.

Example: Trying to convince him to change his mind is like flogging a dead horse.

Note: This idiom highlights the futility of persisting in an endeavor that is already doomed.

Banging one's head against a brick wall

Experiencing extreme frustration in dealing with a difficult person or situation.

Example: I feel like I'm banging my head against a brick wall trying to get through to him.

Note: This phrase emphasizes the repetitive and painful nature of the futile attempt to make progress.

Frustrate everyday (slang) expressions

Lose one's cool

To lose one's temper or composure due to frustration or annoyance.

Example: I totally lost my cool when my computer crashed for the third time today.

Note: This emphasizes the emotional aspect of frustration, highlighting a loss of control.

Throw in the towel

To give up or surrender in the face of difficulty or frustration.

Example: I've been trying to fix this issue for hours, but I think I'm ready to throw in the towel.

Note: This implies a sense of defeat or resignation rather than continued persistence.

Fed up

To be extremely irritated, annoyed, or frustrated with a situation.

Example: I'm so fed up with this constant traffic jam on my way to work.

Note: This indicates a prolonged state of frustration or annoyance, often with a tinge of exasperation.

Hitting a snag

Encountering an unexpected problem or obstacle that causes frustration or delays progress.

Example: Just when I thought everything was going smoothly, we hit a snag with the delivery schedule.

Note: This suggests a sudden impediment or setback in a previously smooth process.

Running into a brick wall

Encountering a situation where progress or success is impeded by a seemingly insurmountable barrier.

Example: I feel like I'm running into a brick wall every time I try to explain my point of view to him.

Note: This conveys a sense of continuous struggle and lack of progress, often against an unyielding obstacle.

Hitting a roadblock

Encountering a significant obstacle or barrier that impedes further progress or development.

Example: We were making good progress on the project until we hit a roadblock with the funding.

Note: This highlights a specific obstacle that halts progress, often requiring a strategic approach to overcome.

Up in arms

To be extremely angry, agitated, or frustrated about a situation or issue.

Example: The employees are up in arms about the sudden change in the company's policy.

Note: This emphasizes a collective or group reaction of frustration or outrage towards a particular issue.

Frustrate - Examples

I am frustrated with this project.

The constant delays are starting to frustrate me.

It frustrates me that I can't seem to make any progress.

Frustrate grammar

Frustrate - Adjective (Adjective) / Adjective (Adjective)

Lemma: frustrate

Conjugations

Verb, past tense (Verb, past tense): frustrated

Verb, gerund or present participle (Verb, gerund or present participle): frustrating

Verb, 3rd person singular present (Verb, 3rd person singular present): frustrates

Verb, base form (Verb, base form): frustrate

Verb, non-3rd person singular present (Verb, non-3rd person singular present): frustrate

Syllabification and Stress

frustrate Contains 2 syllables: frus • trate

Phonetic transcription: ˈfrə-ˌstrāt

frus trate , ˈfrə ˌstrāt (The red syllable is stressed)

Frustrate - Importance and usage frequency

The word frequency and importance index indicates how often a word appears in a given language. The smaller the number, the more frequently the word is used. The most frequently used words typically range from about 1 to 4000.

frustrate: ~ 1800 (Very common).

This importance index helps you focus on the most useful words during your language learning process.

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