interrupted

1 of 2

adjective

in·​ter·​rupt·​ed ˌin-tə-ˈrəp-təd 

1

: broken in upon : discontinuous

an interrupted stripe

interrupted service

an interrupted phone call

interrupted sleep

2

botany : not uniform : broken in arrangement or symmetry

… flowers whorled in interrupted clusters.

—Charles E. Turner

3

phonetics : consisting of or containing a stop in articulation

\k\ is an interrupted consonant

interruptedly adverb

… Jeanne's mother had been … schoolmate and good girlfriend to Maria Gostrey, who had moreover enjoyed since then, though interruptedly … , other glimpses of her.

—Henry James

interruptedness noun

"I am much obliged to you for giving me full notice," he said, with a firm intention in his tone, yet with an interruptedness in his delivery which showed that he spoke unwillingly.

—George Eliot

interrupted

2 of 2

past tense and past participle of interrupt entry 1

Examples of interrupted in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

And despite the prison detour, my interrupted reporting trip had been constructive. —Jason Fields, Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2024

This spicy interaction even leads to another holiday romance trope, the interrupted kiss. —Shannon Carlin, TIME, 27 Nov. 2024

While there is little certainty over how Araujo will adjust to Premier League football with just one interrupted season in Europe under his belt, this appears to be astute business for Bournemouth. —The Athletic Staff, The Athletic, 14 Aug. 2024

These unfinished or interrupted tasks can weigh on your mind. —Aditi Shrikant, CNBC, 30 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1552, in the meaning defined at sense 1