disappoint, let down - fail to meet the hopes or expectations of; "Her boyfriend let her down when he did not propose marriage"

foreclose, forestall, preclude, prevent, forbid - keep from happening or arising; have the effect of preventing; "My sense of tact forbids an honest answer"

dash - destroy or break; "dashed ambitions and hopes"

short-circuit - hamper the progress of; impede; "short-circuit warm feelings"

ruin - destroy or cause to fail; "This behavior will ruin your chances of winning the election"

madden - drive up the wall; go on someone's nerves

beset, chevvy, chevy, chivvy, chivy, harass, harry, hassle, molest, plague, provoke - annoy continually or chronically; "He is known to harry his staff when he is overworked"; "This man harasses his female co-workers"

hamstring - make ineffective or powerless; "The teachers were hamstrung by the overly rigid schedules"

badger, beleaguer, bug, pester, tease - annoy persistently; "The children teased the boy because of his stammer"

persecute, oppress - cause to suffer; "Jews were persecuted in the former Soviet Union"