Meaning & use
irruption
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Meanings
nouncountable or uncountable
A sudden, forceful entry into a place, often causing disruption.
Grammar: Can be countable (an irruption) or uncountable (the irruption of visitors).
Patterns
- an irruption into something
- the irruption of someone/something
The irruption of fans onto the pitch delayed the game.
We were startled by the irruption of a stranger into the quiet room.
The sudden irruption of cold air made everyone shiver.
nouncountable or uncountabletechnical
In ecology, a sudden sharp increase in an animal population, often with movement into new areas.
Grammar: Often used with 'of' plus the animal: an irruption of owls.
Patterns
- an irruption of something
- a population irruption
Birdwatchers flocked to see the irruption of snowy owls.
The irruption of lemmings happens every few years.
An irruption of beetles destroyed the crop.
Word forms
| plural | irruptions |
|---|
Common combinations
- sudden irruption
- The sudden irruption of water flooded the cellar.
- irruption of visitors
- The irruption of visitors upset the quiet village.
- population irruption
- The population irruption of mice was caused by a warm winter.
- irruption into a place
- The irruption into the stadium was caught on camera.
Synonyms and how they differ
- invasion
- Implies a large-scale, often hostile entry; irruption is more sudden and less organized.
- influx
- Often used for a steady flow of people or things; irruption suggests a sudden burst.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: irruption or eruption?
irruption vs eruption
Eruption is an outward burst, as of a volcano or a skin rash; irruption is an inward burst or a population surge.
Practice
The ___ of thousands of tourists into the small town caused traffic chaos.
Choose one answer.
Irruption means a sudden, forceful entry, which fits the tourists flooding in. Eruption would suggest something bursting outward, like a volcano; interruption would mean a break in an activity, not an entry.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “irruption”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.