Word of the Day

: September 14, 2007

thwart

verb THWORT

What It Means

1 a : to run counter to so as to effectively oppose or baffle : contravene

b : to oppose successfully : defeat the hopes or aspirations of

2 : to pass through or across

thwart in Context

At the end of the episode, the fleeing villain told the hero, "You may have thwarted me this time, but I'll be back."

Did You Know?

"Thwart" and its synonyms "foil" and "frustrate" all suggest checking or defeating another's plan or preventing the achievement of a goal. "Foil" implies checking or defeating so as to discourage future efforts ("foiled by her parents, he stopped trying to see her"), while "frustrate" suggests making all efforts, however vigorous or persistent, futile or ineffectual ("frustrated attempts at government reform"). "Thwart" usually indicates frustration caused by opposition ("the army thwarted an attempted coup").

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.