interrupt

B1 Topic:Actions & Processes

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.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

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

Simplified etymology

Interrupt, recorded in late Middle English, comes ultimately from Latin rumpere “to break” and has the underlying meaning “to break 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”).

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

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# 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
- Actions & Processes

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