interrupt

interrupt — verb

1. to cause someone to briefly stop in the middle of a conversation or activity bec

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveB1
Definition

to cause someone to briefly stop in the middle of a conversation or activity because of a word or an action from another person

Example

Zola interrupted the meeting to share an urgent message from head office.

interrupt + [activity] to [state purpose]

Sorry to interrupt, said Sven, but the fire alarm is going off and we must leave.

apologetic formula: 'sorry to interrupt' followed by reason

Common collocations
  • interrupt a conversation
  • interrupt a meeting
  • interrupt someone while…
  • interrupt with a question
  • sorry to interrupt
Synonyms
  • cut in

    less formal, usually about joining a conversation abruptly

  • butt in

    informal and negative; implies the interruption is rude

  • break in

    neutral; can mean interrupting speech or entering a field

Antonyms
  • listen

    the intended opposite action during a conversation

Grammar Patterns

interrupt + person/activity

interrupt + person/activity + with + speech

interrupt + person + to + infinitive

Usage Note

Commonly used in the progressive form (interrupting) or with the polite formula 'Sorry to interrupt...'. The person being interrupted can be omitted when the context is clear: 'Sorry to interrupt, but...'

Common Mistakes

Please don't interrupt.
Please don't interrupt me.
In a request, include the object unless the context makes the listener obvious.
He interrupted me to speak.
He interrupted me to ask a question.
'Interrupt' already breaks into speech; the reason that follows 'to' should add new information.

2. to make an activity or a process pause and then start again

2.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to make an activity or a process pause and then start again

Example

The power cut interrupted the live broadcast of the football match.

interrupt + [event/activity]

Quinn's flight was delayed after a sudden storm interrupted the landing procedure.

passive: was interrupted by [event]

Common collocations
  • interrupt a broadcast
  • interrupt the flow
  • interrupt the view
  • interrupt the silence
  • interrupt progress
Synonyms
  • disrupt

    stronger; implies the interruption causes disorder or problems

  • disturb

    milder; can mean interrupting but also simply bothering

  • halt

    more final; suggests stopping completely, not temporarily

Antonyms
  • continue

    the opposite action — carrying on without stopping

  • sustain

    formal; keeping an activity going without break

Grammar Patterns

interrupt + activity/process

be interrupted + by + noun phrase

interrupt + abstract noun (view/silence/flow)

Usage Note

Often used in the passive voice. The object is typically an activity (broadcast, procedure, studies), a process (flow, progress), or something physical that blocks a view (line of sight, scenery). Unlike sense 1, this sense does not involve a speaking participant.

Common Mistakes

The rain interrupted completely.
The rain interrupted the match completely.
This sense is almost always transitive; specify what was interrupted.

interrupt — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four describe stopping someone mid-speech or mid-action, but they differ in tone and social implication. 'Interrupt' is the neutral, all-purpose term — it simply describes the act of breaking into someone else's turn, without judging it as polite or rude. 'Cut in' is more informal and often suggests joining a conversation abruptly, similar to cutting into a line. 'Butt in' carries strong negative feeling — it implies the interrupter is unwelcome, nosey, or acting rudely. 'Break in' sits between 'interrupt' and 'cut in'; it can be neutral or slightly positive ('break in with a brilliant idea') and also works for entering a field of work ('break into journalism'). For classroom use: 'Please don't interrupt' is a neutral teacher's request; 'Stop butting in!' is an angry sibling's complaint; 'Can I cut in?' is an informal attempt to join a chat.

interrupt ↗cut in ↗butt in ↗break in ↗

Common collocations

Adverbs

Phrases

  • sorry to
  • don't mean to

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

From Latin 'interrumpere', formed from 'inter-' (between) and 'rumpere' (to break). The original image is of breaking into the space between two things — a conversation, a process, a continuous line. French passed it into English as 'interrompre', and by the late 1400s English speakers were using 'interrupt' for breaking into someone's speech. The computing sense dates from the 1950s with early digital systems.