interrupting
Breaking into conversation
Interrupting is breaking into someone's speech or activity before they've finished.
The word carries a note of rudeness—to interrupt is to cut someone off, to insert yourself where you weren't invited: Stop interrupting me.
Beyond conversation, interrupting applies to any disruption of continuity: An emergency broadcast kept interrupting the program.
Occurring without prior notice
- unexpectedNot anticipated beforehand
- cutting offSeparating by force
- breaking inForced entry or conditioning
- interjectingInserting remarks abruptly
interposing · halting · stopping · silencing · suspending · curtailing · mid-sentence · blurting
Lacking good manners
- inconsiderateLacking regard for others
- boorishCrudely ill-mannered
- pushyUnpleasantly forceful in manner
- overbearingArrogantly dominating in manner
presumptuous · meddlesome · intrusive · annoying · irritating · disrespectful · tactless · ill-mannered
Going off course
- sidetrackingDiverting from main purpose
- distractingDrawing attention away
- disturbingCausing mental unease
- hinderingCreating obstacles to progress
obstructing · throwing off · fragmenting · scattering · unsettling · disconcerting · dislocating · upending
Coming apart suddenly
- haltingMarked by hesitation
- suspendingTemporarily ceasing activity
- stoppingCeasing to continue
- pausingStopping briefly mid-action
adjourning · recessing · intermitting · postponing · deferring · shelving · tabling · holding
sudden
Occurring without prior notice
- unexpectedNot anticipated beforehand
- cutting offSeparating by force
- breaking inForced entry or conditioning
interjecting · interposing · halting · stopping · silencing · suspending · curtailing · mid-sentence · blurting · jumping in
impolite
Lacking good manners
- inconsiderateLacking regard for others
- boorishCrudely ill-mannered
- pushyUnpleasantly forceful in manner
overbearing · presumptuous · meddlesome · intrusive · annoying · irritating · disrespectful · tactless · ill-mannered · forward
derailing
Going off course
- sidetrackingDiverting from main purpose
- distractingDrawing attention away
- disturbingCausing mental unease
hindering · obstructing · throwing off · fragmenting · scattering · unsettling · disconcerting · dislocating · upending · destabilizing
breaking
Coming apart suddenly
- haltingMarked by hesitation
- suspendingTemporarily ceasing activity
- stoppingCeasing to continue
pausing · adjourning · recessing · intermitting · postponing · deferring · shelving · tabling · holding · delaying
- annoying behaviorsnagging, pestering, bothering, irritating, aggravating
- bad mannersrudeness, impoliteness, discourtesy, incivility, disrespect
- interferencemeddling, intruding, butting in, obstructing, impeding
- meeting problemsno decisions, rambling, off-topic, tangents, overrunning
- pet peevesannoyance, loud chewing, irritation, loud talking, frustration
- workplace etiquetteemail etiquette, punctuality, handshakes, greetings, introductions
interruptinglistening
Attending to sound
biting one's tongue · deferring · waiting · keeping quiet · pausing
interruptingcontinuing
Going on without stopping
allowing · permitting · sustaining · enabling · maintaining
- rude interruption
- unexpected interruptionUnforeseen break in continuity
- not interruptingRefraining from cutting in
- interrupting cowJoke character that moos early
- business interruptionForced cessation of commerce