frustrate

[fruhs-treyt] / ˈfrʌs treɪt /

VERB

thwart, disappoint

Synonyms

STRONGEST

baffle confront depress discourage dishearten hinder

STRONG

annul arrest balk bar beat block cancel check circumvent conquer counter counteract cramp crimp dash defeat foil forbid forestall halt impede inhibit lick negate neutralize nullify obstruct obviate outwit overcome preclude prevent prohibit ruin stump stymie

WEAK

cramp one's style dash one's hope foul up give the runaround hang up hold up render null and void upset the apple cart

Antonyms

STRONGEST

aid assist encourage hearten help inspirit

STRONG

abet allow approve forward give up let go lose open permit push release retreat support surrender validate yield

WEAK

cooperate facilitate

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Sauer couldn’t give a straight answer, which seemed to frustrate the justice.

From Slate • Apr. 1, 2026

Bishop Alemany baseball coach Randy Thompson has been known to frustrate Harvard-Westlake, and his son, Brody, had big game on Friday.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 21, 2026

DeFi promises anonymity, cheap conversion into stablecoins, and ownership structures opaque enough to frustrate enforcement.

From Barron's • Feb. 5, 2026

“This isn’t what we expected in any way, and it seems to frustrate our expectations. I can’t see most people supporting this,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 4, 2026

"I told you," she said, "that I would do everything in my power to frustrate your plans and devices."

From "Stardust" by Neil Gaiman

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