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

Funds raised during the 2025 Grammy Awards telecast, MusiCares’ Persons of the Year event and additional fundraising efforts were used to help deal with housing instability, interrupted income, physical health complications and ongoing trauma. —David Wilson, Daily News, 7 Jan. 2026

Back at it Saturday’s game opened an interrupted set of games between the Heat and Timberwolves, with the teams also meeting on Tuesday night at Target Center. —Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 3 Jan. 2026

With oversized lapels, pockets, and that classic pea coat fit, this is the perfect piece to layer over everything from pajamas to a matching set after a night of interrupted sleep. —Emma Guillen, PEOPLE, 27 Dec. 2025

Will this merely be Chiefs … interrupted, or a comeuppance that resets their trajectory altogether? —Kansas City Star, 14 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1552, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for interrupted

• uncorrupted
• corrupted
• disrupted
• erupted
• uninterrupted