Frustrate

• POS: Adjective, Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: frus=trate

CIDE DICTIONARY

Frustrate, a. [L. frustratus, p. p. of frustrare, frustrari, to deceive, frustrate, fr. frustra in vain, witout effect, in erorr, prob. for frudtra and akin to fraus, E. fraud.].

 Vain; ineffectual; useless; unprofitable; null; voil; nugatory; of no effect.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]

Frustrate, v. t. 

•  To bring to nothing; to prevent from attaining a purpose; to disappoint; to defeat; to baffle; as, to frustrate a plan, design, or attempt; to frustrate the will or purpose.  [1913 Webster]

  "Shall the adversary thus obtain
  His end and frustrate thine ?"  [1913 Webster]
•  To make null; to nullifly; to render invalid or of no effect; as, to frustrate a conveyance or deed.

Syn. -- To balk; thwart; foil; baffle; defeat.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Frustrate, v. & adj.
--v.tr.
1 make (efforts) ineffective.
2 prevent (a person) from achieving a purpose.
3 (as frustrated adj.) a discontented because unable to achieve one's desire. b sexually unfulfilled.
4 disappoint (a hope).
--adj. archaic frustrated.

Derivative

frustratedly adv. frustrater n. frustrating adj. frustratingly adv. frustration n.

Etymology

ME f. L frustrari frustrat- f. frustra in vain

THESAURUS

Frustrate

annul, anticipate, arrest, baffle, balk, bar, beat, bilk, blast, block, brave, bring to nothing, buffalo, buffer, cancel, cancel out, cast down, challenge, check, checkmate, circumvent, come to nothing, confound, confront, conquer, contravene, counter, counteract, counterbalance, countermand, counterwork, cripple, cross, dash, deceive, defeat, defeat expectation, defy, destroy, disappoint, discomfit, disconcert, discountenance, discourage, dish, disillusion, disrupt, dissatisfy, elude, evade, exasperate, flummox, foil, forbid, forestall, get around, get round, give the runaround, give the slip, go one better, halt, hamper, hamstring, hinder, impede, inhibit, interrupt, invalidate, knock the chocks, let down, lick, negate, negativate, negative, neutralize, nonplus, nullify, obstruct, obviate, offset, outfigure, outflank, outgeneral, outguess, outmaneuver, outplay, outreach, outsmart, outwit, overcome, overreach, pass the buck, perplex, preclude, prevent, prohibit, redress, repel, repulse, ruin, sabotage, scotch, spike, spoil, stonewall, stop, stultify, stump, stymie, tantalize, tease, thwart, undo, upset, victimize, vitiate, void

ROGET THESAURUS

Frustrate

Hindrance

VB hinder, impede, filibuster, impedite, embarrass, keep off, stave off, ward off, obviate, avert, antevert, turn aside, draw off, prevent, forefend, nip in the bud, retard, slacken, check, let, counteract, countercheck, preclude, debar, foreclose, estop, inhibit, shackle, restrict, obstruct, stop, stay, bar, bolt, lock, block, block up, choke off, belay, barricade, block the way, bar the way, stop the way, forelay, dam up, put on the brake, scotch the wheel, lock the wheel, put a spoke in the wheel, put a stop to, traverse, contravene, interrupt, intercept, oppose, hedge in, hedge round, cut off, inerclude, interpose, interfere, intermeddle, cramp, hamper, clog, clog the wheels, cumber, encumber, incumber, handicap, choke, saddle with, load with, overload, lay, lumber, trammel, tie one's hands, put to inconvenience, incommode, discommode, discompose, hustle, corner, drive into a corner, run foul of, fall foul of, cross the path of, break in upon, thwart, frustrate, disconcert, balk, foil, faze, feaze, feeze, baffle, snub, override, circumvent, defeat, spike guns, spoil, mar, clip the wings of, cripple, put an extinguisher on, damp, dishearten, discountenance, throw cold water on, spoil sport, lay a wet blanket, throw a wet blanket on, cut the ground from under one, take the wind out of one's sails, undermine, be in the way of, stand in the way of, act as a drag, hang like a millstone round one's neck.

Disappointment

VB be disappointed, look blank, look blue, look aghast, stand aghast, find to one's cost, laugh on the wrong side of one's mouth, find one a false prophet, not realize one's hope, not realize one's expectation, disappoint, frustrate, discomfit, crush, defeat (failure), crush one's hope, dash one's hope, balk one's hope, disappoint one's hope, blight one's hope, falsify one's hope, defeat one's hope, discourage, balk, jilt, bilk, play one false, play a trick, dash the cup from the lips, tantalize, dumfound, dumbfound, dumbfounder, dumfounder (astonish).