interfere
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
to get involved in a situation where you are not wanted or needed.
to intervene in a situation without invitation, typically causing an obstruction or annoyance.
Simple“I wish my parents would stop trying to interfere in my private life.”
In context“The local government was accused of trying to interfere in the judicial process, sparking a debate about the separation of powers.”
UsageUsually takes the preposition 'in' for situations or 'with' for processes and people.
PitfallHe interfered my work. He interfered with my work.The verb 'interfere' is intransitive and requires the preposition 'with' when followed by an object.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
to prevent something from happening or working the way it should.
to hinder or impede the progress or operation of something.
Simple“The loud music from the party began to interfere with my sleep.”
In context“The presence of large metal structures can interfere with radio signals, causing significant communication delays for the rescue team.”
UsageAlmost always followed by the preposition 'with'.
Antonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
when two waves (like light or sound) meet and change each other.
the interaction of two or more waves of the same frequency that results in a new wave pattern.
Simple“The two sets of waves interfere to create a pattern of light and dark spots.”
In context“When two coherent light sources interfere, they produce a stable fringe pattern that can be used to measure extremely small distances.”
Synonymsoverlapsuperpose - 04 C2 Proficiency
a formal or polite way to say someone sexually abused a child.
to sexually molest or abuse a person, particularly a minor.
Simple“The man was charged with interfering with a child under the age of ten.”
In context“The defendant faced multiple counts of interfering with minors while serving as a volunteer at the youth centre.”
Teacher's tipThis is a common euphemism in British legal contexts; it is highly sensitive and should be used with extreme caution.
“Researchers say the finding raises questions about whether using cannabis for stress relief might, over time, interfere with the very system that helps the body handle stress.”
“Researchers warn betting on clinical trials could incentivize insider trading and interfere with drug development.”
From Old French entreferir, from entre- + ferir (“to hit, to strike”), itself from the Latin verb ferio.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.