interrupt
Americanverb (used with object)
-
interrupts,
present (3rd person singular)
-
interrupted,
past participle, past
-
interrupting
present participle
-
to cause or make a break in the continuity or uniformity of (a course, process, condition, etc.).
- Synonyms:
- intermit
- Antonyms:
- continue
-
to break off or cause to cease, as in the middle of something.
He interrupted his work to answer the bell.
- Antonyms:
- continue
-
to stop (a person) in the midst of doing or saying something, especially by an interjected remark.
May I interrupt you to comment on your last remark?
- Synonyms:
- intermit
verb (used without object)
-
interrupts,
present (3rd person singular)
-
interrupted,
past participle, past
-
interrupting
present participle
noun
verb
-
to break the continuity of (an action, event, etc) or hinder (a person) by intrusion
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(tr) to cease to perform (some action)
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(tr) to obstruct (a view)
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to prevent or disturb (a conversation, discussion, etc) by questions, interjections, or comment
noun
Synonym Usage
Interrupt, discontinue, suspend imply breaking off something temporarily or permanently. Interrupt may have either meaning: to interrupt a meeting. To discontinue is to stop or leave off, often permanently: to discontinue a building program. To suspend is to break off relations, operations, proceedings, privileges, etc., for a certain period of time, usually with the stipulation that they will be resumed at a stated time: to suspend operations during a strike.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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interruptednessnoun
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reinterruptverb
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interruptibleadjective
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interruptiveadjective
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noninterruptibleadjective
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noninterruptiveadjective
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self-interruptingadjective
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uninterruptibleadjective
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uninterruptingadjective
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uninterruptiveadjective
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interruptedlyadverb
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interruptivelyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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interruptsimple
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interruptssimple
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have interruptedperfect
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has interruptedperfect
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am interruptingprogressive
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are interruptingprogressive
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is interruptingprogressive
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have been interruptingperfect progressive
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has been interruptingperfect progressive
Past
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interruptedsimple
-
had interruptedperfect
-
was interruptingprogressive
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were interruptingprogressive
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had been interruptingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of interrupt
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English interrupten, from Latin interruptus, past participle of interrumpere “to break apart,” equivalent to inter- “between, among, together” + rup-, variant stem of rumpere “to burst” + -tus past participle suffix; see inter-, rupture
Explanation
To interrupt someone is to interfere in their activity, disrupt their conversation, or to disturb their peace and quiet. Imagine you're watching reruns of Jeopardy! and your mom interrupts you, threatening to turn off the TV unless you take the trash out. Then your brother interrupts your peace and quiet by shouting answers — wrong answers — at the TV. A special weather bulletin then interrupts your "regularly scheduled program" with a severe thunderstorm warning. And, to complete the job, lightning causes an interrupt (now used as a noun) in the power grid and your electricity goes off.
Vocabulary lists containing interrupt
Make a Break for It: Rupt
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"Raymond's Run"
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Lesson 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The disruption can interrupt care and leave people saddled with medical bills they cannot afford.
From Salon ● Jul. 19, 2026
The three-minute breaks, which interrupt the games during the 22nd and 67th minutes, have drawn the ire of soccer fans worldwide.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
CS: Do you ever want to interrupt them to answer a question you overhear?
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026
Interviewers should interrupt to scrutinise and to challenge, but in those interviews we are often doing it because we are running out of time.
From BBC ● Jun. 13, 2026
“I didn’t want to interrupt the story, but he sounded important.”
From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman
Their crunch interrupts the softness of the turkey, cheese and sauces; their salt seasons the sandwich; and their pucker sharpens the lemon mayo and smoky-sweet romesco.
From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2026
Millions of people worldwide live with obstructive sleep apnea, a common disorder that repeatedly interrupts breathing during sleep.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 9, 2026
“In reality, life interrupts the timeline all the time,” said Melissa Caro, founder of My Retirement Network.
From MarketWatch ● May 14, 2026
Today, admission of outright deception barely interrupts the news cycle.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 28, 2026
Only the rattle of the wind interrupts the spectral quiet.
From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer
In some cases, the breaks interrupted the flow of the game just as a team was starting to take control.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
Throughout the interview, Bash repeatedly interrupted Kennedy to challenge claims she said conflicted with the broader scientific consensus, particularly on COVID-19 vaccines and autism research.
From Salon ● Aug. 2, 2026
"When prevention disappears, infections rise. When treatment is interrupted, people die. We know how this story ends if we fail to act," warned Byanyima.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
If you’re an NFL or NBA fan and you’re worried the game isn’t going to be interrupted by a maddening, extended instant replay review, don’t worry: The World Cup has your ire covered.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026
The boys interrupted before she could explain further.
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
Pharrell’s ad-libs and inserts interrupting the groove at perfect intervals to wake up the dancefloor.
From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2026
By interrupting the repeated nighttime reliving of trauma, the treatment allowed many of them to sleep more peacefully.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 6, 2026
Without a device constantly jostling my brain and interrupting my thoughts, I became more alert to what was happening around me.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
But they did not want the court itself interrupting or striking down Congress’ legislation.
From Slate ● Jul. 13, 2026
“Calpurnia Tate, are we interrupting you?” she said.
From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
