# interfering

/ˌɪnɝˈfɪɹɪŋ/ (US) · /ˌɪntəfˈiəɹɪŋ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/interfering
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. meddlesome

adjective · CEFR B2

getting involved in other people's lives or business in an annoying way.

For teachers: tending to meddle or intervene in the affairs of others without invitation or necessity; typically carries a negative or critical prosody.

- He has an interfering mother-in-law who always tells him how to cook.
- The local residents grew tired of the interfering committee members who insisted on approving every minor change to their private gardens.

### 2. the act of meddling

noun · CEFR B2

the act of getting involved in something that is not your business.

For teachers: the action of intervening in a situation without invitation; the gerundial form of the verb 'interfere'.

- I am tired of your constant interfering in my personal life.
- The diplomat warned that any further interfering in the internal politics of the neighbouring state would lead to a total breakdown in relations.

## Examples

- Stop interfering with my work right now.
- Her constant interfering made the team feel like they could not make their own decisions.
- The manager's interfering style, though well-intentioned, ultimately stifled the creative freedom of the junior designers.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.