frustrate efforts

  • 1frustrate — frustrate, thwart, foil, baffle, balk, circumvent, outwit mean either to defeat a person attempting or hoping to achieve an end or satisfy a desire or, in some cases, to defeat another s desire. To frustrate is to make vain or ineffectual all… …

    New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • 2frustrate — [frus′trāt΄] vt. frustrated, frustrating [ME frustraten < L frustratus, pp. of frustrare, frustrari, to disappoint, deceive < frustra, in vain: for IE base see FRAUD] 1. to cause to have no effect; bring to nothing; counteract; nullify [to… …

    English World dictionary

  • 3frustrate */ — UK [frʌˈstreɪt] / US [ˈfrʌˌstreɪt] verb [transitive] Word forms frustrate : present tense I/you/we/they frustrate he/she/it frustrates present participle frustrating past tense frustrated past participle frustrated 1) to make someone feel annoyed …

    English dictionary

  • 4frustrate — I. transitive verb (frustrated; frustrating) Etymology: Middle English, from Latin frustratus, past participle of frustrare to deceive, frustrate, from frustra in error, in vain Date: 15th century 1. a. to balk or defeat in an endeavor b. to… …

    New Collegiate Dictionary

  • 5frustrate — frus|trate [ frʌ,streıt ] verb transitive * to make someone feel annoyed and impatient by preventing them from doing or getting something: She has always been frustrated by her inability to draw. Activists and reformers are frustrated by the… …

    Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • 6frustrate — 1. verb a) To disappoint or defeat It frustrates me to do all this work and then lose it all. b) To hinder My clumsy fingers frustrate my typing efforts. 2. a …

    Wiktionary

  • 7frustrate — [[t]frʌstre͟ɪt, AM frʌ̱streɪt[/t]] ♦♦♦ frustrates, frustrating, frustrated 1) VERB If something frustrates you, it upsets or angers you because you are unable to do anything about the problems it creates. [V n] These questions frustrated me...… …

    English dictionary

  • 8frustrate — frustrater, n. frustratingly, adv. frustrative /frus tray tiv, treuh /, adj. /frus trayt/, v., frustrated, frustrating, adj. v.t. 1. to make (plans, efforts, etc.) worthless or of no avail; defeat; nullify: The student s indifference frustrated… …

    Universalium

  • 9frustrate — frus|trate [frʌˈstreıt US ˈfrʌstreıt] v [T] [Date: 1400 1500; : Latin; Origin: frustrare, from frustra without effect ] 1.) if something frustrates you, it makes you feel annoyed or angry because you are unable to do what you want ▪ The fact that …

    Dictionary of contemporary English

  • 10frustrate — verb (T) 1 if something frustrates you it makes you feel annoyed or angry because you are unable to do what you want: I think the fact that he s working with amateurs really frustrates him. 2 to prevent someone s plans, efforts or attempts from… …

    Longman dictionary of contemporary English