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

Health officials and aid groups say many migrants fled South Africa without medication or medical records, raising fears of interrupted HIV treatment in a region with some of the world’s highest infection rates. — ABC News, 8 Aug. 2026

However, his attempt is tragically interrupted when his rival racer, angry over losing money because of Cole, causes his car to crash. — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 7 Aug. 2026

Men may also notice difficulty starting urination, a weak or interrupted flow, or a burning sensation while urinating. — Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 7 Aug. 2026

Michael Thompson, the Plymouth Director of Public Works, told CBS News Minnesota his team first noticed there was a problem when communication between devices started to become interrupted on Sunday evening. — Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 31 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1552, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for interrupted

• uncorrupted
• corrupted
• disrupted
• erupted
• uninterrupted