frustrating

Variant of frustrate

transitive verb frustrated, frustrating

  1. to cause to have no effect; bring to nothing; counteract; nullify: to frustrate plans
  2. to prevent from achieving an objective; foil; baffle; defeat: to frustrate an opponent
  3. Psychol. to prevent from gratifying certain impulses or desires, either conscious or unconscious

Origin: ME frustraten < L frustratus, pp. of frustrare, frustrari, to disappoint, deceive < frustra, in vain: for IE base see fraud

intransitive verb

to become frustrated

adjective

Now Rare frustrated; baffled; defeated
Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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