What Does “Interfere with sth” Mean?
“Interfere with sth” means to get involved in something in a way that causes problems or prevents it from working properly.
Introduction
The phrase “interfere with sth” is a common phrasal verb in English. It is used when someone or something disrupts a process, activity, or situation. Understanding the interfere with sth meaning helps learners recognize when something is causing trouble or unwanted involvement. This phrase is useful in many contexts, such as work, relationships, technology, or health. Knowing how to use “interfere with sth” correctly will make your English sound more natural and clear in conversations and writing.
Quick Info Box
- Phrasal verb: interfere with something
- Type: Transitive
- Level: B2 (Upper-Intermediate)
- Short meaning: To disturb or prevent something from happening properly
Structure (Grammar Rules)
“Interfere with sth” is an inseparable phrasal verb. This means the verb and the preposition must stay together.
- Correct: interfere with the equipment
- Incorrect: interfere the equipment with
Common pattern: interfere with + noun
How to Use “Interfere with sth”?
You use “interfere with sth” when talking about something that causes difficulty or interruption. It often has a negative meaning, showing that the interference is unwanted or harmful.
For example, you can say: “Loud noise interferes with my concentration.” This means loud noise makes it hard to concentrate.
Examples
Here are some examples to show how to use “interfere with sth in a sentence”:
- Smoking can interfere with your ability to breathe properly.
- Don’t let other people’s opinions interfere with your decisions.
- The bad weather interfered with the football match.
- The medication may interfere with your sleep.
- His constant interruptions interfered with the meeting’s progress.
Common Mistakes
It is easy to make mistakes with “interfere with sth” if you change the word order or use the wrong preposition.
- Incorrect: She interfered the project with her ideas.
- Correct: She interfered with the project by adding her ideas.
- Incorrect: The noise interfere on my work.
- Correct: The noise interferes with my work.
Differences / Synonyms
Some similar verbs include “disturb,” “interrupt,” and “meddle.” However, they are slightly different:
- Disturb means to bother or annoy someone, often temporarily.
- Interrupt means to stop something briefly.
- Meddle in means to interfere in a situation where you are not wanted, often socially or personally.
- Interfere with is more general and often relates to causing problems or stopping something from working properly.
Common Collocations
Here are common objects used with “interfere with” and their meanings:
- Interfere with signals: disrupt electronic or communication signals
- Interfere with work: cause problems in doing a job
- Interfere with plans: cause difficulties in making or following plans
- Interfere with health: negatively affect health or medical treatment
- Interfere with relationships: cause problems between people
Related Phrasal Verbs
Here are related phrasal verbs of interfere with sth:
Real-life Dialogue
Here is a short conversation using “interfere with sth”:
Anna: The noise from the construction site is really annoying.
Ben: Yeah, it’s starting to interfere with my work.
Anna: I hope they finish soon. It’s hard to concentrate like this.
Practice
Fill in the blanks with the correct form of “interfere with”:
- The heavy rain __________ the outdoor event.
- Don’t __________ my plans by changing the schedule.
- Some medications can __________ your sleep patterns.
- His constant phone calls __________ the meeting.
FAQs
- Q: Is “interfere with” positive or negative?
A: It is usually negative, meaning causing problems or disruption.
- Q: Can “interfere with” be used in formal writing?
A: Yes, it is suitable for both formal and informal contexts.
- Q: What is the difference between “interfere with” and “meddle in”?
A: “Interfere with” refers to causing disruption, while “meddle in” means unwanted involvement in personal matters.
- Q: Can “interfere with” be followed by a verb?
A: No, it must be followed by a noun or noun phrase.
- Q: Is “interfere with” separable?
A: No, the verb and preposition stay together.
