What does intrude mean?
Intrude means to enter a place or become involved in an activity without being invited, or to impose oneself on someone's attention, privacy, or conversation. It often suggests that the person or thing is unwelcome and that the action disrupts or oversteps an important boundary. Common expressions include intrude on someone's privacy, intrude on a conversation, and intrude into someone's space. The word is used in both formal and informal English, with British and American usage broadly alike. Although intrude can be used in relatively neutral contexts, it commonly carries a negative connotation because it implies an unwelcome arrival or an unwanted intrusion. Its related forms include the noun intrusion, the agent noun intruder, and the adjective intrusive. The word is also notable for its Latin roots: it comes from intrudere, literally 'to push in', which links it to a family of words involving pushing, thrusting, or projecting.
verbTo enter or become involved in a place, activity, or subject without invitation or permission, especially in a way that is unwelcome. It can also mean to interfere with someone's privacy, thoughts, or conversation.
- To enter a place or join an activity without invitation or permission, especially when unwelcome.
- To interfere with or impose oneself upon someone's attention, privacy, thoughts, or conversation.
"I apologised for intruding on their conversation, but I had an urgent question."
"The noise from the construction site seemed to intrude into every room in the house."
"She was careful not to intrude on his grief by offering unsolicited advice."
To intrude is to push your presence into a space where you have not been invited — whether that space is a room, a conversation, or someone's private thoughts.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does intrude come from?
Intrude comes from the Latin verb intrudere, meaning 'to push in' or 'force in,' formed from in-, 'into,' and trudere, 'to push.' The English word appeared in the early modern period and originally referred chiefly to forcing one's way into a place. Its cognates in English include extrude, protrude, and obtrude, all of which reflect the same Latin root associated with pushing or thrusting.
Related word forms
How intrude is actually used
The word is used in both formal and informal contexts and usually carries a negative or disapproving connotation. British and American usage is essentially the same; in American English, intrude on and intrude into are particularly common.
Easily confused with intrude
Interfere generally means to intervene in an activity or obstruct someone's plans, whereas intrude more specifically means to enter or impose oneself without invitation or permission.