interject

IPA/ˌɪntəˈdʒekt/
KK[ˌɪntɚdʒˈɛkt]IPA/ˌɪntərˈdʒekt/

interject — verb

  • interjectpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • interjectshe / she / it
  • interjectedpast simple
  • interjecting-ing form

1. to add your own words into a conversation while someone else is already speaking

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveB2
Definition

to add your own words into a conversation while someone else is already speaking, especially to give a quick opinion, ask a question, or make a comment.

Example

Karim tried to explain his idea, but his colleague kept interjecting with questions.

interject + with + noun phrase

"That is not quite right," Heather interjected during the morning meeting.

direct speech + interjected

Common collocations
  • interject a comment
  • interject a question
  • interject a remark
  • interject with an opinion
  • interject during a conversation
Synonyms
  • interrupt

    more general and neutral; can refer to stopping any activity or speech, while interject specifically means adding a remark into a conversation

  • interpose

    more formal; can mean inserting a remark or intervening between two sides, often with authority

  • cut in

    informal; to interrupt someone who is speaking, often abruptly or rudely

  • butt in

    informal; to join a conversation without being invited, usually considered rude

Antonyms
  • listen

    to give attention to someone speaking, the opposite of interrupting with your own words

Grammar Patterns

interject + noun phrase (a comment, a question, a remark)

interject + with + noun phrase

direct speech + interjected + person

Usage Note

Often found in reported speech with direct quotes. When used transitively, the object is typically a comment, question, or remark — never a person.

Common Mistakes

She interjected him during the lecture.
She interjected a question during the lecture.
interject takes a remark or idea as its object, not a person.
I interjected to stop the fight.
I interjected a comment to calm the discussion.
interject means to add speech, not to physically or forcefully stop someone.

2. to put something into the space between other things, or to add an extra element

2.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to put something into the space between other things, or to add an extra element into an existing sequence — for example, inserting a note into a document or a design feature into a structure.

Example

Stefan interjected a short note into the middle of the final report.

interject + noun + into

Eve carefully interjected the last painting between two larger works in the gallery.

interject + between + [two items]

Common collocations
  • interject into a text
  • interject between chapters
  • interject a clause
  • interject a note
  • interject an element
Synonyms
  • insert

    the most common and neutral word for putting something into something else; interject carries a stronger sense of placing something between other elements

  • interpolate

    more technical; to insert something new into a text or sequence, often changing the original

  • intersperse

    to scatter or place things at various points among other things, not necessarily in a single spot

Antonyms
  • remove

    to take something out from where it was placed

  • extract

    to pull something out deliberately, often with care

Grammar Patterns

interject + noun phrase + into + noun phrase

interject + noun phrase + between + plural noun phrase

Usage Note

Typically used in formal or academic writing. The preposition 'into' marks the container or sequence receiving the inserted item, while 'between' marks the two surrounding elements. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense deals with physical or textual insertion, not interrupting speech.

Common Mistakes

I interjected the key into the lock.
I inserted the key into the lock.
interject is not used for mechanical or physical insertion of one object into another's opening; use insert instead.
The editor interjected a picture on the page.
The editor inserted a picture on the page.
interject implies adding something that breaks an existing sequence, not just placing an item anywhere.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words describe breaking into someone's speech, but they differ in formality and intent. 'Interrupt' is the broadest, most neutral term — it simply means to stop someone from continuing, whether politely or not. 'Interject' is more specific: you add a remark into a pause or gap in the conversation rather than forcing someone to stop. 'Interpose' is formal and often implies intervening with authority, as when a judge interposes an objection in court. 'Cut in' and 'butt in' are informal and suggest rudeness: you cut in when you cannot wait for your turn, and you butt in when the conversation was not meant for you. For example, a mediator might interject a clarifying question during a negotiation, while an impatient listener might simply cut in before the speaker finishes.

interrupt ↗interposecut in ↗butt in ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • interject a comment
  • interject a question
  • interject an opinion
  • interject a remark

Adverbs

  • suddenly interject
  • quickly interject
  • hastily interject

Phrases

  • interject oneself into a conversation

Prepositions

  • interject into
  • interject between
  • interject during

Etymology

LatinEnglish

From Latin 'intericere', a combination of 'inter-' (between) and 'iacere' (to throw). The past participle 'interiectus' gave rise to the verb 'interject' in early 16th-century English, originally meaning 'to throw between'. The literal sense of inserting an object between other objects developed first; the conversational sense of inserting a remark into someone else's speech followed shortly after.

First known use

1588

1588, in the meaning defined above