LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
adverb

frūstrā

frūstrā (not comparable)
Classical[ˈfruːs.traː]Ecclesiastical[ˈfrus.tra]
№ 694 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. not comparablein deception, in error
  2. not comparablewithout effect, to no purpose, without cause, uselessly, in vain, for nothing
    Curius ubi intellegit, quantum periculum consuli inpendeat, propere per Fulviam Ciceroni dolum, qui parabatur, enuntiat. Ita illi ianua prohibiti tantum facinus frustra susceperant.When Curius learnt how great the danger which threatened the consul was, he hastily reported to Cicero, through Fulvia, the trap which was being prepared. When the men were thus turned away from the door, they had undertaken such a great crime in vain.c. 42 BCE, Gaius Sallustius Crispus, Bellum Catilinae 28.2–3

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Frustra · Nequidquam · Incassum · Irritus

1. Frustra (from ψύθος) means in vain, with reference to the subject, whose expectation and calculations have been disappointed; whereas nequidquam (that is, in nequidquam, in nihil), to no purpose, refers to the nullity in which the thing has ended. 2. Hence frustra, used adjectively, refers to the person; whereas irritus, the actual adjective, refers to the thing. 3. Frustra and nequidquam denote merely a failure, without imputing a fault, like μάτην; whereas incassum involves the accessory notion of a want of consideration, by which the failure might have been calculated upon, and foreseen, as in attempting any thing manifestly or proverbially impossible, εἴς κενόν. (iii. 100.)

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

operam (et oleum) perdere or frustra consumere
to lose one's labour.

frustrā (-tră, Prud. στεφ. 1, 13), adv. orig. acc. plur. neutr., afterwards abl. sing. fem. of frusterus, for frud-; v. fraus; hence.
I. In deception, in error (so mostly anteclass. and in historians; not in Cic. and Caes.): ambo, et servus et era, frustra sunt duo, Qui me Amphitruonem rentur esse: errant probe, are deceived, in error, Plaut. Am. 3, 3, 19; cf. id. Bacch. 4, 7, 42: nunc, mulier, nei frustra sies, mea non es: ne arbitrere, id. Merc. 3, 1, 30: quo mihi acrius annitendum est, ut neque vos capiamini, et illi frustra sint, Sall. J. 85, 6: frustra esse, Plaut. Capt. 4, 2, 74: hilarus est; frustrast homo, id. Most. 3, 1, 40 Lorenz: ne frustra sis, id. Men. 4, 3, 18 sq.; id. Mil. 5, 29 al.; cf. in the foll. II. A.—With animi: erras, Aemiliane, et longe hujus animi frustra es, App. Mag. p. 286.—Frustra habere aliquem, to deceive, cheat one (= eludere): Corbulo quaesito diu proelio frustra habitus, Tac. A. 13, 37; 51: si Persae frustra habitae redissent ad sua, Amm. 18, 6, 6: servom ac dominum, Plaut. Am. argument. 5.—
II. Transf., according as particular respect is had to the effect, the aim, or the reason of an action, without effect, to no purpose, without cause, uselessly, in vain, for nothing (freq. and class.; the predom. signif. in prose and poetry; cf.: in cassum, nequiquam).
A. Without effect, in vain: alii parasiti frustra obambulabant in foro, i. e. they got no dinner, Plaut. Capt. 3, 1, 31: praesagibat mihi animus, frustra me ire, quom exibam domo, id. Aul. 2, 2, 1: nemo dabit; frustra egomet mecum has rationes puto, Ter. Ad. 2, 2, 53: frustra operam opinor sumo, id. Heaut. 4, 3, 15: neque ipse auxilium suum saepe a viris bonis frustra implorari patietur, Cic. de Or. 2, 33, 144: haec si verbis explicare conemur, frustra suscipiatur labor, id. Univ. 10: fortissima frustra pectora, Verg. A. 1, 348; 5, 389: multum frustraque rogatus, Luc. 4, 735: peritura frustra agmina, id. 7, 736; Ov. M. 8, 140: frustra telum mittere, Caes. B. G. 3, 4, 2; cf. id. ib. 3, 25, 1: frustra tantum laborem sumere, id. ib. 3, 14, 1: cujus neque consilium neque inceptum ullum frustra erat, Sall. J. 7, 6 Kritz.; ib. 14, 11 Dietsch; 61, 1; 71, 5; 73 fin. al.; cf.: ita frustra id inceptum Volscis fuit, Liv. 2, 25, 2: neque frustrabor ultra cives meos, neque ipse frustra dictator ero, id. 2, 31, 10; Quint. 10, 1, 2: frustra cruento Marte carebimus, frustra metuemus Austrum: Visendus ater Cocytus, etc., Hor. C. 2, 14, 13 and 15: nam frustra vitium vitaveris illud, si te alio pravum detorseris, id. S. 2, 2, 54: tam frustra (expressere) quam recusaverat (= aeque frustra fuit et sine eventu), likewise without effect, Tac. H. 2, 90 fin. (see the passage in conn.).—With nequiquam, Cat. 77, 1; App. M. 8, p. 208, 40.—With sic: ego astabo hic tantisper cum hac forma et factis sic frustra; cf. Gr. οὕτως ἄλλως, Plaut. Mil. 4, 2, 30.—In a pun with frustra esse (v. supra, I.) and frustrari: qui lepide postulat alterum frustrari, quom frustra'st, frustra illum dicit frustra esse. Nam qui se frustrari quem frustra sentit, Qui frustratur, frustra'st, si ille non est frustra, Enn. ap. Gell. 18, 2, 7 (Sat. 33, p. 158 sq. Vahl.).—
2. Ellipt.: equites et auxiliarios pedites in omnes partes mittit ... Nec frustra. Nam, etc., Hirt. B. G. 8, 5, 3; so, frustra: nam, etc., Hor. C. 3, 7, 21; Flor. 4, 11, 9.—
B. Without reason or cause, groundlessly: frustra ac sine causa quid facere indignum deo est, Cic. Div. 2, 60, 125: frustra tempus contero, id. Rosc. Com. 14, 41: quae disputatio ne frustra haberetur, id. Rep. 1, 7: quae (res) prima impulit etiam, ut suspiceremus in caelum nec frustra siderum motus intueremur, id. ib. 3, 2; 4, 3; id. Tusc. 1, 10, 21; id. Fin. 2, 12, 36; v. Madv. ad h. l. p. 210: non igitur frustra Plato civili viro, quem πολιτικόν vocant, necessariam musicen credidit, Quint. 1, 10, 15; 10, 1, 56: ut multi, nec frustra, opinantur, Suet. Oth. 9: ne quid inexpertum frustra moritura relinquat, Verg. A. 4, 415 Forbig. ad loc.—
2. Ellipt.: hanc quidam aposiopesin putant. Frustra. Nam, etc., Quint. 9, 3, 60.

Origins

Perhaps originally from the ablative singular of *frūstra, rebracketed from *frūstrum, or from a rebracketed adverbial accusative of the same; by surface analysis, fraus (“harm, injury”) + -tra.

Descendants
  • Italianfrustra

In English words that came into English from frūstrā

  • frustrationfrūstrātiō
  • frustratefrūstrātus

Quick answers

What does frūstrā mean in Latin?
frūstrā, a adverb, means “in deception, in error; without effect, to no purpose, without cause, uselessly, in vain, for nothing”.
How do you pronounce frūstrā?
In classical Latin, [ˈfruːs.traː]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈfrus.tra].