DiotimosReading Desk

Ethics

Deprive of what is due

frustrer

Frustrer quelqu’un de quelque chose means to deprive someone of it, especially something considered due.

From the book

The Gods Are Athirst

Anatole France · Diotimos Editions · 2026

Browse this book’s lexicon →

Meaning

Lemma.

Frustrer quelqu’un de quelque chose means to deprive someone of it, especially something considered due. It is stronger and more specific here than making someone feel disappointed. Gamelin thinks criminals are wronged if deprived of punishment. The verb exposes his disturbing reclassification of a penalty as the condemned person’s entitlement.

Places to read

  1. Chapter XIII, paragraph 7Frenchc’est leur faire tort que de les en frustrer: it is to wrong them to deprive them of it. The pronoun en refers to peine, punishment; the claim is Gamelin’s.