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frus·trate

(frŭstrāt′)

tr.v. frus·trat·ed, frus·trat·ing, frus·trates

a. To prevent (someone) from accomplishing a purpose or fulfilling a desire; thwart: A persistent wind frustrated me as I tried to rake the leaves.

b. To cause feelings of discouragement, annoyance, or lack of fulfillment in: She was frustrated by his inability to remember her birthday.

2. To prevent from coming to fruition or fulfillment; render ineffectual: frustrated his ambition; frustrated their scheme for reform.

[Middle English frustraten, from Latin frūstrārī, frūstrāt-, from frūstrā, in vain.]

frustrat′er n.

frustrat′ing·ly adv.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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