interject
C1Pronunciation
UK
- /ˌɪntədʒˈɛkt/
US
- /ˌɪntərˈdʒɛkt/
Description
- cut in
- interrupt
- add a quick comment
Imagine a lively conversation. Everyone is sharing stories, and ideas are moving quickly. Then someone interjects with a short comment or question. To interject means to break into a conversation or discussion for a moment, usually to say something brief. It is not always rude. Sometimes the quick remark helps explain something or adds an important point. But if someone does it too often, it can feel annoying. The idea is a short, sudden comment added in the middle of what is already happening.
To interject means to insert a comment, question, or short remark into a conversation, discussion, or sometimes another ongoing situation. It usually suggests a brief interruption. The speaker cuts in for a moment, says something, and then the main flow continues. The word often describes something sudden, but not always something rude or negative.
You might interject during a meeting to offer a suggestion: "May I interject for a moment?" You might also interject in a conversation to correct a detail, ask a quick question, or add a brief reaction. In writing, it can describe a character suddenly speaking in the middle of someone else's words or actions.
However, interject is not always positive. If someone keeps cutting in with unwanted or unrelated comments, it can sound disruptive. The key idea is brevity. An interjection is usually quick. That is one reason it is slightly different from interrupt, which can describe any break in speech, including a longer or stronger one.
So when someone briefly adds a thought in the middle of a discussion, they interject. The word is most often used for short spoken comments that enter an ongoing exchange without fully taking it over.
Examples
- 1
Conversation boundary
Please let me finish before you interject.
- 2
Direct speech
“That’s not true,” she interjected.
- 3
Interrupting with jokes
He kept interjecting with jokes while I was trying to explain the plan.
Pattern
interject with + comment/joke
add that kind of remark suddenly
- 4
Meeting question
During the meeting, Priya interjected a question about the budget.
- 5
Courtroom
The judge interjected that the witness did not have to answer.
- 6
Polite interruption
Sorry to interject, but we need to leave in ten minutes.
Usage
Sorry to interject, but ...
a polite way to enter a conversation
Forms and spellings
4 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- interjectverb
Forms
- interjectedpast tenseverb
- interjectsverb
- interjecting-ing formverb