Disrupt Meaning
/dɪsˈɹʌpt/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
verbTo interrupt or prevent the normal progress or activity of something.
verbTo throw into confusion or disorder.
Sentence Examples
He was careful not to disrupt the meeting.
Please refrain from making posts that disrupt this site's atmosphere.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
Loud construction noises often ____ the quiet atmosphere of the library.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The power outage will ____ operations for several hours.
Word Origin & History
Borrowed from Latin disruptus, from disrumpo, commonly dirumpo (“to break or burst asunder”), from dis-, di- (“apart, asunder”) + rumpo (“to break”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"The Glaswegians bore good-humouredly the mishaps which occasionally disrupted the services during the first month."
— 1961 February, “Talking of Trains: The Glasgow debacle”, in Trains Illustrated, page 66:
"Irregular bedtimes may disrupt healthy brain development in young children, according to a study of intelligence and sleeping habits. ¶ Going to bed at a different time each night affected girls more than boys, but both fared worse on mental tasks than children who had a set bedtime, researchers found."
— 2013 July 19, Ian Sample, “Irregular bedtimes may affect children’s brains”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 6, page 34:
"In the Canadian and Alaskan Arctic region, where 2°C warming has already occurred since 1950, the loss of coastal sea ice and permafrost is disrupting traditional Inuit hunting routines."
— 2017, Anthony J. McMichael, Alistair Woodward, Cameron Muir, Climate Change and the Health of Nations, →ISBN, page 51:
"The scientific instruments of the day recorded rapid fluctuations in the Earth's magnetic field, as powerful electrical currents flowed through the upper atmosphere. Ships' logs noted observations of the northern lights as far south as the Caribbean, and telegraph systems across the world were disrupted as electrical currents were induced in the copper lines."
— 2023 November 15, Prof. Jim Wild, “This train was delayed because of bad weather in space”, in RAIL, number 996, page 30:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
Loud construction noises often ____ the quiet atmosphere of the library.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The power outage will ____ operations for several hours.