interfere

• POS: Verb (intransitive)
• HYPHEN: in=ter=fere

CIDE DICTIONARY

interfere, v. i. [OF. entreferir to strike each other; entre between (L. inter) + OF. ferir to strike, F. férir, fr. L. ferire. See Ferula.].

•  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.  [1913 Webster]
•  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.  [1913 Webster]

  "To interfere with party disputes."  [1913 Webster]

  "There was no room for anyone to interfere with his own opinions."  [1913 Webster]
•  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.  [1913 Webster]
•  To act reciprocally, so as to augment, diminish, or otherwise affect one another; -- said of waves, rays of light, heat, etc. See Interference, 2.  [1913 Webster]
•  To cover the same ground; to claim the same invention; as, to interfere with another patent.  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- To interpose; intermeddle. See Interpose.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

interfere, v.intr.
1 (usu. foll. by with) a (of a person) meddle; obstruct a process etc. b (of a thing) be a hindrance; get in the way.
2 (usu. foll. by in) take part or intervene, esp. without invitation or necessity.
3 (foll. by with) euphem. molest or assault sexually.
4 Physics (of light or other waves) combine so as to cause interference.
5 (of a horse) knock one leg against another.

Derivative

interferer n. interfering adj. interferingly adv.

Etymology

OF s' entreferir strike each other (as INTER-, ferir f. L ferire strike)

THESAURUS

interfere

antagonize, arrest, baffle, balk, bar, barge in, be antipathetic, be inimical, beat against, block, bottle up, break in, break in upon, burst in, busybody, butt in, charge in, check, clash, collide, come between, conflict, conflict with, confute, contradict, contrapose, contravene, counter, counteract, counterattack, countercheck, counterpose, countervail, counterwork, crash, crash in, crash the gates, creep in, cross, crowd in, curb, cut in, dam up, damp, dampen, delay, detain, discommode, edge in, elbow in, encroach, encumber, entrench, foil, foist in, fool, frustrate, go against, go counter to, hamper, handicap, hinder, hold back, hold in check, hold up, horn in, impede, impinge, impose, impose on, impose upon, incommode, inconvenience, infiltrate, infringe, inhibit, insinuate, intercede, intercept, interfere with, interlope, intermeddle, intermediate, interpose, interrupt, intervene, intrude, invade, irrupt, keep back, keep in check, kibitz, lock horns, make, meddle, mediate, meet head-on, militate against, monkey with, obstruct, obtrude, oppose, oppugn, press in, push in, put on, put upon, repress, resist, restrain, retard, run against, run counter to, rush in, sabotage, scotch, set back, slacken, slink in, slip in, slow, smash in, sneak in, snub, squeeze in, steal in, step in, storm in, subvert, suppress, swim upstream, tamper with, throng in, thrust in, thwart, trammel, trench, trespass, trouble, work against, work in, worm in

ROGET THESAURUS

interfere

Disagreement

VB disagree, clash, jar, interfere, intrude, come amiss, not concern, mismatch, humano capiti cervicem jungere equinam.

Activity

VB be active, busy oneself in, stir, stir about, stir one's stumps, bestir oneself, rouse oneself, speed, hasten, peg away, lay about one, bustle, fuss, raise up, kick up a dust, push, make a push, make a fuss, make a stir, go ahead, push forward, fight one's way, elbow one's way, make progress, toll, plod, persist, keep up the ball, keep the pot boiling, look sharp, have all one's eyes about one, rise, arouse oneself, hustle, get up early, be about, keep moving, steal a march, kill two birds with one stone, seize the opportunity, lose no time, not lose a moment, make the most of one's time, not suffer the grass to grow under one's feet, improve the shining hour, make short work of, dash off, make haste, do one's best take pains, do wonders, work wonders, have many irons in the fire, have one's hands full, have much on one's hands, have other things to do, have other fish to fry, be busy, not have a moment to spare, not have a moment that one can call one's own, have one's fling, run the round of, go all lengths, stick at nothing, run riot, outdo, overdo, overact, overlay, overshoot the mark, make a toil of a pleasure, have a hand in, take an active part, put in one's oar, have a finger in the pie, mix oneself up with, trouble, one's head about, intrigue, agitate, tamper with, meddle, moil, intermeddle, interfere, interpose, obtrude, poke one's nose in, thrust one's nose in.

Hindrance

VB hinder, impede, filibuster, impedite, embarrass, keep off, stave off, ward off, obviate, avert, antevert, turn aside, draw off, prevent, forefend, nip in the bud, retard, slacken, check, let, counteract, countercheck, preclude, debar, foreclose, estop, inhibit, shackle, restrict, obstruct, stop, stay, bar, bolt, lock, block, block up, choke off, belay, barricade, block the way, bar the way, stop the way, forelay, dam up, put on the brake, scotch the wheel, lock the wheel, put a spoke in the wheel, put a stop to, traverse, contravene, interrupt, intercept, oppose, hedge in, hedge round, cut off, inerclude, interpose, interfere, intermeddle, cramp, hamper, clog, clog the wheels, cumber, encumber, incumber, handicap, choke, saddle with, load with, overload, lay, lumber, trammel, tie one's hands, put to inconvenience, incommode, discommode, discompose, hustle, corner, drive into a corner, run foul of, fall foul of, cross the path of, break in upon, thwart, frustrate, disconcert, balk, foil, faze, feaze, feeze, baffle, snub, override, circumvent, defeat, spike guns, spoil, mar, clip the wings of, cripple, put an extinguisher on, damp, dishearten, discountenance, throw cold water on, spoil sport, lay a wet blanket, throw a wet blanket on, cut the ground from under one, take the wind out of one's sails, undermine, be in the way of, stand in the way of, act as a drag, hang like a millstone round one's neck.

Mediation

VB mediate, mediatize, intercede, interpose, interfere, intervene, step in, negotiate, meet halfway, arbitrate, magnas componere lites, bargain.

Interposition

VB lie between, come between, get between, intervene, slide in, interpenetrate, permeate, put between, introduce, import, throw in, wedge in, edge in, jam in, worm in, foist in, run in, plow in, work in, interpose, interject, intercalate, interpolate, interline, interleave, intersperse, interweave, interlard, interdigitate, sandwich in, fit in, squeeze in, let in, dovetail, splice, mortise, insinuate, smuggle, infiltrate, ingrain, interfere, put in an oar, thrust one's nose in, intrude, obtrude, have a finger in the pie, introduce the thin end of the wedge, thrust in.