interrupt

American  

[in-tuh-ruhpt, in-tuh-ruhpt] / ˌɪn təˈrʌpt, ˈɪn təˌrʌpt /

verb (used with object)

• interrupts,
  present (3rd person singular)
• interrupted,
  past participle,  past
• interrupting
  present participle

1. to cause or make a break in the continuity or uniformity of (a course, process, condition, etc.).

   Synonyms:

   intermit

   Antonyms:

   continue

2. to break off or cause to cease, as in the middle of something.

   He interrupted his work to answer the bell.

   Antonyms:

   continue

3. 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

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verb (used without object)

• interrupts,
  present (3rd person singular)
• interrupted,
  past participle,  past
• interrupting
  present participle

1. to cause a break or discontinuance; interfere with action or speech, especially by interjecting a remark.

   Please don't interrupt.

noun

1. Computers. a hardware signal that breaks the flow of program execution and transfers control to a predetermined storage location so that another procedure can be followed or a new operation carried out.

interrupt British  

/ ˌɪntəˈrʌpt /

verb

1. to break the continuity of (an action, event, etc) or hinder (a person) by intrusion

2. (tr) to cease to perform (some action)

3. (tr) to obstruct (a view)

4. to prevent or disturb (a conversation, discussion, etc) by questions, interjections, or comment

---

noun

1. the signal to initiate the stopping of the running of one computer program in order to run another, after which the running of the original program is usually continued

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

• interruptedness
  noun
• reinterrupt
  verb
• interruptible
  adjective
• interruptive
  adjective
• noninterruptible
  adjective
• noninterruptive
  adjective
• self-interrupting
  adjective
• uninterruptible
  adjective
• uninterrupting
  adjective
• uninterruptive
  adjective
• interruptedly
  adverb
• interruptively
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Participles

• interrupting
  present
• interrupted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• interrupt
  simple
• interrupts
  simple
• have interrupted
  perfect
• has interrupted
  perfect
• am interrupting
  progressive
• are interrupting
  progressive
• is interrupting
  progressive
• have been interrupting
  perfect progressive
• has been interrupting
  perfect progressive

Past

• interrupted
  simple
• had interrupted
  perfect
• was interrupting
  progressive
• were interrupting
  progressive
• had been interrupting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will interrupt
  simple
• will have interrupted
  perfect
• will be interrupting
  progressive
• will have been interrupting
  perfect progressive

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

interrupt interrupts interrupted interrupting

While reading out some procedural steps in the case, Davis appeared to interrupt by raising his hand.

From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026

These are very brief bursts of brain activity that can interrupt the normal sleep cycle without causing someone to become fully awake.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 29, 2026

There is plenty to protest in the plan: Trump is threatening to install gold accents throughout the buildings, and renderings show a new covered walkway that could interrupt the clean lines of Saarinen’s facade.

From Slate ● Aug. 18, 2026

As they did on “Good Day L.A.,” they consistently interrupt one another and the chatter careens from one topic to the next without a breath.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026

Ben would interrupt this God and this God would not mind.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy

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

Fewer fires, it said, "interrupts a sequence of years of fire expansion and returns the country to a historically lower level of burned area."

From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026

But a strict fealty to mimicking that relationship interrupts the conversation between modern and ancient sculpture.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 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

After twenty seconds of music, the announcer interrupts a third time to introduce commentator Carl Phillips, who will conduct the interview.

From "Spooked!" by Gail Jarrow

Besides last summer’s interrupted logging job, several hundred acres of fast-growing loblolly planted in 2017 and 2018 are coming due for thinning.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

The judge interrupted and ordered him to address only the jury.

From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026

Love’s monologue is interrupted momentarily by beeps from his car and he says, “I’m in my new McLaren and it’s just real touch-and-go.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026

Nearby, a news conference by the head of Pakistan's parliamentary health committee over the cause of the fire was interrupted by a distraught father clasping his palms together in a plea.

From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026

“Daisy,” I interrupted in a low voice, “is this old man a ghost or something?”

From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls

The team then tested whether interrupting one of those inflammatory signals could reverse the problem.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 31, 2026

Scientists say human behavior, including the unchecked burning of fossil fuels, is warming the global climate and interrupting weather patterns.

From Barron's ● Aug. 24, 2026

Wednesday’s debate was acrimonious almost from the beginning, with the two interrupting each other throughout the night.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

Pharrell’s ad-libs and inserts interrupting the groove at perfect intervals to wake up the dancefloor.

From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2026

“Excuse me, sir, for interrupting you,” she said, as though speaking to an officer in Efrafa, “but the bird—the white bird— it’s coming toward us.”

From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams

Related Words

• break
• break off
• cut off
• cut short
• delay
• discontinue
• disturb
• halt
• heckle
• hinder
• hold up
• impede
• prevent
• punctuate
• stop
• suspend