interrupt

noun

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

verb

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

(transitive) To divide; to separate; to break the monotony of.

(transitive, computing) To assert to (a computer) that an exceptional condition must be handled.

Roots

interinter- · Latin · between, within rumpo-rupt · Latin · break

Synonyms for interrupt

disruptv disturbv breakv interferev intermitv discontinuev intrudev impedev delayn haltn terminatev suspendv stopv disarrangev

Synonyms & related words for interrupt

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of interrupt — including disrupt, disturb, break, interfere, intermit, discontinue. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to interrupt

Explore words related to interrupt — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include interruptive, interpellant, interruption, uninterruptible, interferer, interjecting, interpose, pause. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for interrupt

Common synonyms for interrupt include disrupt, disturb, break, interfere, intermit, discontinue, intrude, impede — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does interrupt come from?

The word interrupt breaks down into 2 roots of Latin origin: inter-, from Latin inter (“between, within”); and -rupt, from Latin rumpo (“break”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.