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

As field operations are interrupted and conservation timelines stall, the few remaining birds in the wild continue to face mounting threats. —Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025

This may have to do with interrupted sleep and oxygen supply to the brain, but the exact link is unclear. —Ann Pietrangelo, Verywell Health, 28 Mar. 2025

The Atlantic Theater Company, the prominent Off Broadway venue that recently reached an agreement with the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees that ended a several-months-long strike, will resume its interrupted 2024-2025 season. —Greg Evans, Deadline, 25 Mar. 2025

Worried about interrupted views with eclipse glasses? —Kirsten Fiscus, The Tennessean, 8 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1552, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for interrupted

• uncorrupted
• corrupted
• disrupted
• erupted
• uninterrupted