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

Solanke was signed for a club record £65million deal from Bournemouth in 2024, but had an injury-interrupted debut season at Tottenham. —Elias Burke, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2026

His career was further interrupted in 1979 when he was severely injured in a car crash on the Hollywood Freeway, suffering fractures and serious facial injuries that required multiple plastic surgeries. —Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026

Key Takeaways Cognitive health can decline due to recurrent interrupted sleep and low oxygen levels of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). —Heidi Moawad, Verywell Health, 9 Feb. 2026

As legislators prepare to enter the new legislative season, Boren drew a final lesson from the interrupted saga of SB 726. —J.c. Hallman, Oklahoman, 3 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1552, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for interrupted

• uncorrupted
• corrupted
• disrupted
• erupted
• uninterrupted