Interfere Definition and Meaning
By Tayyaba Rehman & Fiza Rafique — Published on April 5, 2025
"Interfere" is a verb meaning to become involved in the activities and concerns of other people when your involvement is not wanted. e.g., Please do not interfere with my work.
Table of Contents
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Interfere Definitions
To intervene in a situation without invitation or necessity.
He tends to interfere in matters that do not concern him.
To come into opposition, creating conflict or complication.
Their demands interfere with the company's policies.
To collide or clash with another's actions or intentions.
His schedule interferes with mine, so we rarely meet.
To physically impede or block an action or process.
The scaffolding will interfere with access to the building.
To involve oneself in a situation without right or invitation.
She asked her neighbor to not interfere in her family affairs.
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To break into or intrude on an ongoing activity.
The alarm interfered with the meeting.
To interact or intervene in a way that causes a change.
Certain medications can interfere with sleep.
To be or create a hindrance or obstacle
The rain interfered with our plans to go on a picnic.
(Sports) To perform an act of interference.
To intervene or intrude in the affairs of others; meddle.
To strike one hoof against the opposite hoof or leg while moving. Used of a horse.
Physics & Electronics To cause interference.
(intransitive) To get involved or involve oneself, causing disturbance.
I always try not to interfere with other people’s personal affairs.
(of waves) To be correlated with each other when overlapped or superposed.
Correlated waves interfere to produce interesting patterns, while uncorrelated waves overlap without interfering.
Where the radio-wave signals of the two radio stations interfere the listener hears nothing but noise.
(mostly of horses) To strike one foot against the opposite foot or ankle in using the legs.
To sexually molest, especially of a child.
The investigation found the girls had been interfered with.
To come in collision; to be in opposition; to clash; - usually used with with; as, interfering claims, or commands; workers in a crowded shop may interfere with each other's activity.
To enter into, or take a part in, the concerns of others; to intermeddle; to interpose; - used with in or with; as, to interfere with the way I raise my children.
To interfere with party disputes.
There was no room for anyone to interfere with his own opinions.
To strike one foot against the opposite foot or ankle in using the legs; - sometimes said of a human being, but usually of a horse; as, the horse interferes.
To act reciprocally, so as to augment, diminish, or otherwise affect one another; - said of waves, rays of light, heat, etc. See Interference, 2.
To cover the same ground; to claim the same invention; as, to interfere with another patent.
Come between so as to be hindrance or obstacle;
Your talking interferes with my work!
Get involved, so as to alter or hinder an action, or through force or threat of force;
Why did the U.S. not intervene earlier in WW II?
To prevent or alter the outcome of an action by intervening.
Bad weather could interfere with our travel plans.
To obstruct or hinder progress.
Loud noises interfere with my ability to concentrate.
To cause disruption or disturbance.
The strike interfered with production at the plant.
Interfere Snonyms
Obstruct
To block or get in the way of progress.
Fallen trees obstructed the road after the storm.
Hinder
To make it difficult for something to occur or be accomplished.
Lack of funding hinders our ability to expand the program.
Impede
To delay or prevent someone or something by obstructing them.
Heavy snow impeded the morning commute.
Encroach
To advance beyond proper or former limits, especially gradually or stealthily.
The weeds began to encroach on the garden.
Butt in
Informal; to interfere or interrupt rudely.
He has a bad habit of butting in during conversations.
Intrude
To come into a place or situation where one is unwelcome or not invited.
I don't mean to intrude, but I need to speak with you.
Meddle
To involve oneself in other people's affairs without being asked.
She resented her brother's tendency to meddle in her life.
Tamper
To interfere with something in order to cause damage or make unauthorized alterations.
The evidence had been tampered with.
Interpose
To place or insert between one thing and another, typically to prevent a result.
He interposed a delay in the negotiation process.
Disrupt
To cause disorder or turmoil in.
The strike disrupted public transportation.
Interfere Idioms & Phrases
Interfere with one's duties
To hinder someone from performing their responsibilities.
Constant interruptions interfere with her duties at work.
Don't interfere!
A request or command to stop meddling.
Don't interfere! she shouted, as he tried to offer unnecessary help.
Interfere with one's plans
To disrupt or hinder someone's intended actions.
Rainy weather can often interfere with one's plans for outdoor activities.
Interfere in relationships
To meddle in the personal relationships of others.
It's not wise to interfere in other people's relationships.
Interfere with reception
To cause disruptions in the reception of signals, such as radio or TV.
Tall buildings can interfere with television reception.
Interfere with the process
To hinder or disrupt an established procedure.
He warned them not to interfere with the process.
Interfere in affairs
To meddle in the business or personal matters of others.
He is known to interfere in his colleagues' affairs.
Interfere in the election
To engage in activities meant to influence or manipulate the outcome of an election.
There were accusations of foreign powers trying to interfere in the election.
Interfere with one's work
To disturb or disrupt someone's work process.
Please turn down the music; it interferes with my work.
Interfere in the market
To meddle or manipulate market forces or business operations.
The government sometimes interferes in the market to stabilize prices.
Interfere with progress
To hinder or slow down the advancement of a project or task.
Unforeseen technical issues interfered with the project's progress.
Interfere with healing
To disrupt or slow down the healing process.
Stress can interfere with the healing of wounds.
Interfere with the law
To obstruct the enforcement or application of the law.
Attempts to interfere with the law will not be tolerated.
Interfere with communication
To hinder or disrupt the exchange of information.
Noise in the communication channels can interfere with message clarity.
Interfere with nature
To disrupt natural processes or environments.
Building a dam on the river might interfere with the local ecosystem.
Interfere with evidence
To tamper with or alter evidence related to legal proceedings.
He was arrested for interfering with evidence in the investigation.
Interfere with learning
To disrupt the learning process or educational environment.
Classroom disruptions can significantly interfere with learning.
Interfere with operations
To obstruct or complicate the normal operations of a system or organization.
The cyber attack interfered with the company's operations.
Interfere with judgment
To cloud or negatively affect one's decision-making ability.
Fatigue can interfere with a person's judgment.
Interfere Example Sentences
His constant advice tends to interfere with my decisions.
I don't want to interfere, but I think you should know the truth.
I wish they wouldn't interfere in how I raise my kids.
Please do not interfere while I'm trying to concentrate.
External noises often interfere with the audio recording.
She asked him not to interfere with her cooking.
Does this medication interfere with other treatments?
Harsh weather conditions interfere with satellite signals.
The new policy might interfere with existing protocols.
Overthinking can interfere with your ability to act.
Magnets can interfere with electronic devices.
His emotional bias might interfere with his professional judgement.
A lack of resources can interfere with the success of a project.
Let's make sure that politics do not interfere with justice.
They promised not to interfere with each other's departments.
Common Curiosities
Why is it called interfere?
"Interfere" comes from the Latin roots "inter-" (between) and "ferire" (to strike), originally meaning to strike between or to come into collision.
How is interfere used in a sentence?
"Interfere" is used to describe unwanted involvement or disruption in various contexts.
What is a stressed syllable in interfere?
In "interfere", the stress is on the last syllable: in-ter-FERE.
How many syllables are in interfere?
Interfere has three syllables.
How do we divide interfere into syllables?
Interfere is divided as: in-ter-fere.
What is the pronunciation of interfere?
Interfere is pronounced /ˌɪntərˈfɪər/.
What is the first form of interfere?
The first form of "interfere" is "interfere."
What part of speech is interfere?
"Interfere" is a verb.
What is the root word of interfere?
The root word of "interfere" is the Latin "ferire," meaning to strike.
What is the second form of interfere?
The second form of "interfere" is "interfered."
Is interfere a collective noun?
"Interfere" is not a noun; it is a verb.
What is the verb form of interfere?
"Interfere" is itself the base form of the verb.
What is the opposite of interfere?
The opposite of "interfere" is "facilitate" or "assist."
Is interfere a vowel or consonant?
"Interfere" starts with a vowel sound.
Is interfere a countable noun?
"Interfere" is not a noun; it is a verb.
Is the word interfere imperative?
"Interfere" can be used in the imperative form, as in commands or requests not to intervene.
Is the word “interfere” a Direct object or an Indirect object?
"Interfere" is a verb and does not function as an object in a sentence.
Which determiner is used with interfere?
Determiners are not used directly with "interfere" as it is a verb.
What is another term for interfere?
Another term for "interfere" is "meddle."
What is the singular form of interfere?
"Interfere" does not have a singular or plural form as it is a verb.
Is the word interfere a Gerund?
"Interfering" is the gerund form of "interfere."
Which preposition is used with interfere?
Common prepositions used with "interfere" include "with," as in "interfere with."
Which article is used with interfere?
Articles are not used directly with "interfere" as it is a verb.
Is the interfere term a metaphor?
"Interfere" can be used metaphorically in some contexts to describe indirect or subtle disruptions.
Which conjunction is used with interfere?
Conjunctions like "and" or "but" can be used with "interfere" to connect clauses.
What is the third form of interfere?
The third form of "interfere" is "interfered."
What is the plural form of interfere?
"Interfere" does not have a plural form.
Is interfere a noun or adjective?
"Interfere" is a verb, not a noun or adjective.
Is interfere an adverb?
No, "interfere" is not an adverb.
Is interfere an abstract noun?
"Interfere" is a verb and not a noun of any kind.
Is interfere a negative or positive word?
"Interfere" generally has a negative connotation, as it implies unwanted or problematic involvement.
Which vowel is used before interfere?
Vowels before "interfere" depend on the context; no specific vowel precedes it universally.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
