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
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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:
But "we don't have the strength necessary to go and interrupt them", he insisted.
From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026
“If someone is rambling we will often interrupt and say what is the goal?” she says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
To borrow the nostrum attributed to Napoleon, the Chinese president is smart enough not to interrupt an opponent while he’s making a mistake.
From Salon ● Sep. 28, 2026
Outside, the more than 1-acre property offers plenty of space and privacy, with no rear neighbors to interrupt its secluded feel.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 2026
Penelope knew it was rude to interrupt, but his statement pleased her so greatly that the words burst out of her.
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
She talks almost exclusively about herself, interrupts constantly and has an opinion about everyone, often an unflattering one.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026
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
Millions of people worldwide live with obstructive sleep apnea, a common disorder that repeatedly interrupts breathing during sleep.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 9, 2026
Mrs. Park interrupts us and puts our food down in front of us.
From "Amina's Song" by Hena Khan
So now the talk has shifted to what happens if Michaels’ run is interrupted because, you know, something happens to him?
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026
Arsenal and HB Koge were drawing 0-0 in the second half on Tuesday when coverage was interrupted.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
He told me his Bitcoin origin story, which was occasionally interrupted by young boys asking him for an autograph.
From Slate ● Sep. 20, 2026
Their broader goal was to determine whether those processes might be interrupted or reduced.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 14, 2026
“We would pay extra,” Mom interrupted, her voice just as steely as the other woman’s.
From "The School for Whatnots" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
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
“He wasn’t paying attention,” Papá said, giving him a stern look for interrupting.
From "Breaking Through" by Francisco Jiménez
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.
