interrupt

B1 Topic:Work & Careers

Also spelled interupting

US /ˌɪntəˈɹʌpt/ See IPA manual

Freq #3245

Meanings

1

verb
to stop someone from speaking or doing something by suddenly breaking in.

Please don't interrupt me while I'm on the phone.
2

verb
to stop an action or process for a while.

We interrupt the program to bring you the following news.
3

noun
in computing, a signal that makes a device pause its task to deal with something urgent.

The interrupt caused the program to pause and handle the new data.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to stop someone from... disrupt disturb

2 verb · to stop an action or... cut off

More interject

Opposites

continue resume

Word family

Forms interruptedinterrupterinterruptinginterrupts

Derived forms interruptableinterrupteeinterrupterinterruptibleinterruptinglyinterruptioninterruptiveinterruptlessmanterruptnoninterruptreinterruptself-interrupt

Related forms abrupt corrupt disrupt

Etymology

From Middle English interrupten, derived from Latin interruptus, past participle of interrumpere (“to break apart/off, interrupt”), from inter (“between”) + rumpere (“to break”).

*Hrewp- Proto-Indo-European interrupten Middle English interruptus Latin

View etymology graph ->

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# interrupt

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** verb, noun
**IPA (US):** /ˌɪntəˈɹʌpt/
**Frequency rank:** 3245

## Meanings
1. to stop someone from speaking or doing something by suddenly breaking in.
2. to stop an action or process for a while.
3. in computing, a signal that makes a device pause its task to deal with something urgent.

## Examples
- Please don't interrupt me while I'm on the phone.
- We interrupt the program to bring you the following news.
- The interrupt caused the program to pause and handle the new data.

## Synonyms
- interject

## Antonyms
- continue
- resume

## Derived Forms
- interruptable
- interruptee
- interrupter
- interruptible
- interruptingly
- interruption
- interruptive
- interruptless
- manterrupt
- noninterrupt
- reinterrupt
- self-interrupt

## Related Forms
- abrupt
- corrupt
- disrupt

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *Hrewp-
- Root: interrupten
- Root: interruptus
- Affix: inter- - between

## Etymology
From Middle English interrupten, derived from Latin interruptus, past participle of interrumpere (“to break apart/off, interrupt”), from inter (“between”) + rumpere (“to break”).

## AI Etymology
Interrupt comes from Middle English interrupten, derived from Latin interruptus, past participle of interrumpere (“to break apart/off, interrupt”), from inter (“between”) + rumpere (“to break”). The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern verbal form is built from the named base and affix. The historical line also includes *Hrewp-.

## Topics
- Work & Careers

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interrupt

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