# interrupt

/ˌɪntɝˈəpt/ (US) · /ˈɪntəɹˌʌpt/ (UK)

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

## Senses

### 1. to stop someone speaking

verb · CEFR B1

to start talking while someone else is already speaking, which often makes them stop.

For teachers: to break the continuity of a person's speech or action by speaking or interfering suddenly.

- I am sorry to interrupt, but there is a phone call for you.
- The junior analyst repeatedly interrupted the presentation to ask for clarification on the data sets, much to the frustration of the senior partners.

Usage: Often used with 'to' when referring to the person being stopped.

### 2. to break a process or view

verb · CEFR B2

to stop an activity for a short time or to break up a long, flat surface or view.

For teachers: to cause a temporary halt in a process or to break the continuity or monotony of a physical space.

- A series of loud bangs interrupted my sleep last night.
- The vast, flat landscape was interrupted only by a few scattered farmhouses and the occasional cluster of ancient oak trees.

### 3. to signal a computer

verb · CEFR C1 · Technical

to send a signal to a computer that it needs to stop its current task to deal with something else.

For teachers: to trigger a signal that causes the central processing unit to suspend its current execution to handle a specific event.

- The system will interrupt the main program if the printer runs out of paper.
- The peripheral device is configured to interrupt the processor whenever a new packet of data is ready for transfer.

Usage: The verb is transitive and takes the computer or processor as its object.

### 4. a computer signal

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a signal that tells a computer to stop what it is doing and look at a new task.

For teachers: a signal to the processor emitted by hardware or software indicating an event that needs immediate attention.

- The computer received an interrupt from the keyboard when I pressed a key.
- High-priority interrupts can cause significant latency in background processes if the handler is not optimized for speed.

## Examples

- Please do not interrupt me while I am speaking.
- The loud alarm began to interrupt our meeting every few minutes, making it impossible to finish the presentation.
- While the speaker attempted to outline the new policy, several protesters began to interrupt with shouted questions, forcing the moderator to pause the session and call for order.

---

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.