frustrate

/frʌˈstreɪt/ (bre, ipa) · [frˈʌstrˌet] /ˈfrʌstreɪt/ (ame, ipa) · [frˈʌstrˌet] /ˈfrə-ˌstrāt/ (ame, mw)

frustrate — verb

  • frustratepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • frustrateshe / she / it
  • frustratedpast simple
  • frustrating-ing form

1. if a situation, person, or thing frustrates you, it leaves you upset and out of

1.動詞及物B2
釋義

if a situation, person, or thing frustrates you, it leaves you upset and out of patience because your efforts keep failing.

例句

The slow internet at the library frustrated Sofia while she was writing her essay.

transitive: thing frustrates a person

It frustrates Leo that his younger brother never listens to advice.

pattern: it frustrates [person] that + clause

同義詞
  • annoy

    lighter; short-term irritation, no sense of giving up

  • exasperate

    stronger, more formal; emphasises losing patience completely

  • discourage

    focus on losing hope rather than feeling annoyed

反義詞
  • encourage

    give someone hope and confidence to keep trying

  • satisfy

    make someone feel content with the result

文法句型

frustrate + somebody

用法筆記

Frequently passive — 'be frustrated by/with' is more common in everyday speech than the active form. The subject of the active form is usually a situation or thing, not a person acting on purpose.

常見錯誤

❌I frustrated when the bus did not come.
✅I was frustrated when the bus did not come.
💡the person who feels the emotion is the object, so use the passive (be frustrated).

2. to stop a plan, effort, or attempt from working out, so that the goal behind it

2.動詞及物C1
釋義

to stop a plan, effort, or attempt from working out, so that the goal behind it cannot be reached.

例句

Heavy snow frustrated the rescue team's attempt to reach the climbers on the mountain.

object: attempt / plan / effort

New safety rules frustrated Christopher's plan to open a food stall at the festival.

同義詞
  • thwart

    very close synonym; often interchangeable in formal writing

  • obstruct

    stresses physically or actively blocking, not just stopping success

  • hinder

    weaker; slow down rather than fully stop

反義詞

文法句型

frustrate + plan/effort/attempt

用法筆記

Object is almost always something the subject does not want to succeed — plans, efforts, hopes, ambitions, attempts. Distinguish from sense 1 by checking the object: a person object usually signals sense 1; a plan/effort object signals this sense.

常見錯誤

❌The rain frustrated us to go hiking.
✅The rain frustrated our plan to go hiking.
💡this sense takes a plan or effort as the object, not a person + to-infinitive.