interfere
gb/ˌɪntɚfˈɪɹ/ us/ˌɪntɚfˈɪɹ/
B1
English
~ 4000
Senses
0 senses
Verb
B1
action
1
Get involved without being wanted
To try to get involved in something that is not your business or where people do not want your help.
Usage pattern:
to interfere in [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'interfere' with 'interrupt'. 'Interfere' means to get involved in a situation; 'interrupt' means to stop something from continuing for a short time.
Synonyms
meddle (More informal and often slightly more negative than 'interfere'.)
Antonyms
mind one's own business (Means to avoid getting involved in matters that do not concern you.)
Collocations
interfere in politics
|interfere in someone's life
|interfere with personal matters
|interfere in a dispute
Themes
daily life
|relationships
|conflict
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He doesn’t like it when his parents interfere in his personal relationships.
- The government promised not to interfere in the free market.
- Please don’t interfere in things you don’t understand.
- She accused her neighbors of interfering in her family affairs.
Learner examples
- Please do not interfere in my work.
- My father likes to interfere in my choices.
- The teacher told the students not to interfere in the fight.
Verb
B1
action
2
Prevent normal operation or progress
To stop something from working well or from happening in the normal way.
Usage pattern:
to interfere with [something]
Common mistake:
Some learners use 'disturb' when they mean 'interfere with'. 'Disturb' often means to bother or interrupt, while 'interfere with' means to affect performance or function.
Synonyms
hinder ('Hinder' is slightly more formal and focuses on making progress slower or more difficult.)
Antonyms
facilitate (Means to make something easier or help it happen smoothly.)
Collocations
interfere with progress
|interfere with communication
|interfere with a signal
|interfere with performance
Themes
technology
|sports
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
|work
Examples
- The noise from the construction site interfered with my concentration.
- Heavy rain interfered with the satellite signal.
- Don’t let your emotions interfere with your judgment.
- Glare from the sun can interfere with a driver’s vision.
Learner examples
- The rain interfered with our game.
- Loud music can interfere with sleep.
- A bad internet connection interferes with video calls.
Verb
technical
B2
action
3
Illegally block an opponent in sports
In sports, to stop another player from playing fairly by touching them or getting in their way when it is not allowed.
Synonyms
obstruct ('Obstruct' is more general; 'interfere' here is specific to sports rules.)
Antonyms
play fair (Means to follow the rules and allow fair play.)
Collocations
interfere with a player
|pass interference
|goalkeeper interference
Themes
sports
Examples
- The defender was penalized for interfering with the receiver.
- You cannot interfere with the goalkeeper inside the goal area.
- He was called for pass interference during the game.
Learner examples
- The player was punished for interfering with the other team.
- You cannot interfere with the goalkeeper.
- He got a penalty for interference.
Grammar
Dictionary form
interfere
IPA
GB/ˌɪntɚfˈɪɹ/
US/ˌɪntɚfˈɪɹ/
Syllables & stress
in - ter - fere (3 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (ter)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: interfere
- 3rd Person Singular: interferes
- Present Participle: interfering
- Past: interfered
Word family
Forms
interferes
verb
interfering
verb
interfered
verb
Core family
interference
noun B2
Negative and opposite forms
non-interference
noun
Expressions
interfere in
1/ˌɪntɚfˈɪɹ ˈɪn/
phrasal verb
Get involved without being asked
To try to be part of something that is not your business or where you are not wanted.
Examples
- I don’t want to interfere in their argument.
- The country has vowed not to interfere in foreign elections.
interfere with
1/ˌɪntɚfˈɪɹ wˈɪθ/
phrasal verb
Negatively affect normal functioning
To make it difficult for something to work well or happen normally.
Examples
- Stress can interfere with your sleep patterns.
- The bad weather interfered with the flight schedule.