frustrate
B2Neutral to formal. Common in both spoken and written language.
Definition
Meaning
to prevent someone's plans, efforts, or desires from succeeding, causing feelings of disappointment or annoyance.
Can refer to the act of making someone feel thwarted or disappointed; also can describe the state of feeling thwarted. In legal contexts, it can mean to nullify a contract due to unforeseen circumstances making it impossible to fulfil.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a transitive verb. The adjective 'frustrated' (feeling or expressing distress/annoyance) is far more common than the base verb in describing emotional states. The adjective 'frustrating' describes the cause of the feeling.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or core usage. Minor differences in typical collocations or phrasing may exist.
Connotations
Slightly more formal in British English for describing emotional states ('I feel frustrated' is more common than 'It frustrates me').
Frequency
Similar high frequency in both varieties. The derived forms ('frustrated', 'frustrating') are extremely common.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[NP] frustrates [NP][NP] is frustrated by [NP]It frustrates me that [CLAUSE]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Frustrate someone's hopes”
- “A study in frustration”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Market volatility can frustrate long-term investment strategies.
Academic
The researcher's hypothesis was frustrated by contradictory data.
Everyday
His constant interruptions really frustrate me.
Technical
The software bug will frustrate any attempt to save the file.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The new regulations will frustrate any hope of a quick resolution.
- It frustrates her when people are late.
- He was frustrated in his attempt to get a promotion.
American English
- The defense frustrated the quarterback's passing game.
- It's so frustrating to deal with this bureaucracy.
- Bad weather frustrated our plans for a picnic.
adverb
British English
- He shook his head frustratingly.
- The meeting ended frustratingly without a decision.
American English
- The game was frustratingly close.
- She sighed frustratingly as the computer crashed again.
adjective
British English
- She felt frustrated by the lack of clear guidelines.
- A frustrated artist, he turned to teaching.
- He gave a frustrated sigh.
American English
- The frustrated customer demanded to speak to the manager.
- He was a frustrated writer working a day job.
- She made a frustrated gesture.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The difficult homework frustrates the children.
- I am frustrated when I lose my keys.
- Constant delays frustrated our travel plans.
- She felt frustrated because she couldn't express her ideas clearly in English.
- The government's policies are frustrating economic recovery.
- The team's defensive strategy completely frustrated their opponents' attack.
- His innate caution frustrated her more impulsive ventures.
- The contract was frustrated by the outbreak of war, rendering it null and void.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'FRUSTRATE' as 'FRUit STRATEGy ATE' – imagine a ruined strategy for growing perfect fruit, which is very annoying and prevents success.
Conceptual Metaphor
Frustration is an obstacle/blockage (e.g., 'hit a brick wall'), a suppressed force (e.g., 'pent-up frustration'), or a negative flavour/taste (e.g., 'a bitter frustration').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid using Russian 'фрустрировать' as a direct translation; it is a recent, less common borrowing. 'Расстраивать' or 'препятствовать' are often more natural equivalents.
- The English verb focuses more on the *act* of prevention, while Russian 'расстраивать' focuses more on the emotional *result*.
- Do not confuse 'frustrate' with 'flustrate' (which is not a standard English word).
Common Mistakes
- Using the base verb 'frustrate' to describe one's own feeling ('I frustrate') instead of the adjective ('I am frustrated').
- Misspelling as 'flustrate' or 'fustrate'.
- Overusing in contexts where 'annoy', 'upset', or 'disappoint' is more precise for the emotional effect.
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses 'frustrate' CORRECTLY?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Frustrate' implies an active prevention or hindrance of a goal, often causing annoyance. 'Disappoint' focuses on the failure to meet expectations or hopes, causing sadness. A cancelled flight might *frustrate* your travel (it actively prevents it) and *disappoint* you (it fails your hope of arriving on time).
No. While often used with people ('It frustrates me'), the object can be a plan, effort, or process ('The bad weather frustrated the rescue attempt', 'The law frustrates innovation').
It is both. As a past participle, it's part of the verb ('He was frustrated by the news'). More commonly, it functions as an adjective describing a state ('a frustrated teacher', 'I feel frustrated').
The primary noun is 'frustration'. The gerund 'frustrating' can also function as a noun ('The frustrating of his plans was deliberate'), but this is less common.
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