English · Word Candidate

interrupt

/ˌɪntəˈɹʌpt/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: interrupts · interrupting · interrupted

Sense 1

Meaning · English

To disturb or halt (an ongoing process or action, or the person performing it) by interfering suddenly, especially by speaking.

Verb

A maverick politician repeatedly interrupted the debate by shouting.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Meaning · English

To divide; to separate; to break the monotony of.

Verb

The evenness of the road was not interrupted by a single hill.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Meaning · English

An event that causes a computer or other device to temporarily cease what it was doing and attend to a condition.

Noun

The interrupt caused the packet handler routine to run.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

What does “interrupt” mean?

To disturb or halt (an ongoing process or action, or the person performing it) by interfering suddenly, especially by speaking.

Is “interrupt” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.