July 16, 2011 - Word of the Day: frustrate

He's so frustrated!

The word "frustrate" could be considered the opposite of yesterday's word of the day, "encourage." Perhaps it's not the direct opposite, but it's pretty close. To frustrate someone is to prevent a person from getting what he or she wants. Frustration can cause stress and a feeling of hopelessness. The source of the frustration can be a person, but it's usually a thing.

You can use it as a verb....

• His job frustrates him.
• They were very frustrated by the cancellation of their flight. (This sentence is in the passive voice.)
• Mary's inability to lose weight frustrates her.
• The teacher's methods frustrated the students so much, some of them left the classroom.

It's often used as an adjective (frustrating / frustrated):

• His job is frustrating. He is frustrated.
• The cancellation of the flight was frustrating.
• Mary's attempts to lose weight have been frustrating.
• The students feel frustrated in class because the teacher's methods are so confusing.

It's also commonly heard as a noun:

• His job is the cause of his frustration.
• Their frustration was caused by the cancellation of their flight.
• Mary feels a lot of frustration because she can't lose any weight.
• The students' frustration with their teacher resulted in some of them walking out of the classroom.

You can learn more words here.