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frustrate

/fɹəˈstɹeɪt/verb

To upset or annoy someone by blocking their plans or keeping them from getting what they want.

Example sentences

  • The slow internet connection frustrated everyone in the office.
  • It really frustrates her when people interrupt her mid-sentence.

The older, formal sense is to block outright: rescue efforts were frustrated by the weather. The everyday sense, to annoy, grew out of that blocking.

Related words