Meaning & use
butting in
Last updated
“butting in” is a form of “butt in”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
phraseidiom
Interrupting a conversation or activity when you were not asked to take part.
Grammar: This is the -ing form of the phrasal verb 'butt in'; it works as a noun-like phrase, as in 'I hate his butting in.'
Patterns
- butt in on something
- butt in on someone
- keep butting in
Sorry for butting in, but I think your taxi is here.
She kept butting in while I was trying to explain the plan.
He has a habit of butting in on other people's arguments.
Word forms
| base form | butt in |
|---|---|
| third person singular | butts in |
| past tense | butted in |
| past participle | butted in |
| -ing form | butting in |
Common combinations
- butt in on a conversation
- Please don't butt in on a conversation that doesn't concern you.
- keep butting in
- The children keep butting in when I'm on the phone.
- sorry for butting in
- Sorry for butting in, but you left your bag behind.
- always butting in
- My neighbor is always butting in with advice nobody wants.
Synonyms and how they differ
- interrupting
- Neutral and general; it does not suggest that the person was unwelcome the way 'butting in' usually does.
- cutting in
- Very close in meaning, but it is more often used for joining a dance, a queue, or a line of traffic.
- chiming in
- Softer and often friendly; it suggests adding a comment, not rudely forcing your way into a talk.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: butting in or barging in? butting in or buttoning?
butting in vs barging in
'Barging in' means entering a place or joining in very forcefully; 'butting in' is mainly about interrupting speech or business.
butting in vs buttoning
A completely different word meaning fastening buttons; the two sound similar in fast speech.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'butting in' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Butt in on something' means to interrupt or intrude, so sentence 2 fits. Sentence 1 confuses it with 'butting' in the sense of hitting with the head, and the other two are not real uses of this phrasal verb.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “butting in”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.