11 Phrases Brilliant People Use To Interrupt Someone Without Being Rude
You don't have to give up on getting your point across just because you don't want to be rude.
Mahir KART / Shutterstock Whether it's during a work meeting or a gossip session with friends, it's normal for people to interrupt or cut someone off unintentionally at times. In their mind, they don't mean to be rude by not letting other people speak. However, when time is of the essence and they're especially engrossed in what they have to say, even the most considerate person might struggle to stop themselves from talking.
Instead of just giving up on getting out what you want to say, you can try using one of the phrases brilliant people use to interrupt someone without being rude. From validating their points to simply being respectfully honest, there are plenty of ways to be as respectful as possible while interrupting someone mid-conversation.
The 11 phrases brilliant people use to interrupt someone without being rude
1. ‘That’s a great point. May I add something to that?’
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When someone continues to ramble on and on, it’s only natural that people will want to cut in and add their two cents. Unfortunately, it might not always be so easy, as people lose track of time and continue to talk without pausing or allowing the other person to speak.
The first phrase brilliant people use to interrupt someone without being rude is, “That’s a great point, but can I add something to that?” The first step to approaching this situation in a respectful manner is to validate what the other person is saying.
According to a study published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, people yearn to feel understood as feeling misunderstood leads to higher stress, lower life satisfaction, and motivation. Still, there needs to be a little honesty, otherwise, they’ll continue to speak.
This is why adding, “But can I add something to that,” is so important. This not only allows people to have the opportunity to cut in and speak their thoughts, but it signals to the other person to slow down and allow others to speak, swiftly changing the pace of the conversation.
2. ‘Before we move on, let me say something real quick’
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Whether they're happening during work meetings or family gatherings, the flow of conversations is bound to change at some point. With that comes the inevitable outcome of quickly moving on before all parties are able to express their thoughts or ideas. So, a phrase brilliant people use to interrupt someone without being rude is, “Before we move on, let me say something real quick.”
Most people don't intentionally cut others off mid-conversation. From high emotions to simply being thoughtless, people might unintentionally skip someone in favor of just getting the conversation over with. This is why it’s important to remind others from time to time, otherwise, their unintentional cut off can lead to misunderstandings.
According to a study in 2019, misunderstandings can lead to confusion and disagreements. So, while interjecting mid-conversation is nerve wrecking, always remember that being upfront and honest is the best way to deal with mostly any situation.
3. ‘Sorry to cut you off, but can we finish this conversation at a later date?’
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It's normal to want a conversation to come to an end after spending an hour or so discussing the same old thing over and over again. But when people are overly engrossed in their thoughts and in their words, it can be nearly impossible to take them out of that state without being semi-rude in the process. Luckily, a phrase brilliant people use to interrupt someone without being rude is, "Sorry to cut you off, but can we finish this conversation at a later date?"
The key to remaining kind and considerate during any conversation is to first start out in the right tone. If someone were to say, "Can we finish this conversation at a later date," it might come off rude depending on the context of the conversation. To lessen the blow, being slightly apologetic and showing a bit of sympathy is sometimes the best way to ensure that the other person doesn't leave the conversation feeling disrespected or, worse, having the wrong opinion of the other person.
Like it or not, switching around someone's impression of a person is very difficult, especially if the first impression ends on a bad note. According to a study published in 2016, it took people weeks longer to change a bad first impression, showcasing that committing just a few bad actions is much harder to overcome. So, to play it safe, being kind and considerate is the best way to go.
4. ‘Hold on. May I clarify something?’
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Everyone's been in this situation before: they're listening to someone go on and on about a subject, only to be left in utter confusion. However, before they can interrupt and ask a question, the person speaking quickly moves on, leaving them confused.
Understandably, nobody wants to be the person who annoyingly raises their hand in a work meeting or in the classroom, but not being on the same page creates room for future mistakes to occur. As a matter of fact, asking questions is so important that it can completely change the way people understand the material.
For instance, the Center for Interdisciplinary Teaching and Learning noted that students who developed questions were increasingly more likely to understand the material as they increased their higher-level cognitive functions.
5. ‘Can I chime in?’
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To be honest, not everybody has time to memorize a whole paragraph in order to interrupt someone. When matters are pressing, and they need to get a word in, then a phrase brilliant people use to interrupt someone without being rude is, "Can I chime in?" Sometimes, simplicity is truly the best way to go about things.
Over-analyzing what someone is saying can make it harder for people to get their point across, as they'll be so worried about messing up that they'll stumble over their words, leading to misunderstandings. This is why it's better to simply ask before entering into the conversation.
Research shows that "the willingness to ask sensitive questions can also prevent individuals from forming mistaken assumptions."
So, while someone might feel like they can simply throw themselves into a conversation, it's best to sometimes ask before entering. if only to avoid the awkward misunderstandings that come along with it.
6. ‘I hate to interrupt you, but this is important to mention’
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The next phrase brilliant people use to interrupt someone without being rude is, "I hate to interrupt you, but this is important to mention." People can get so caught up in the minor details of a conversation that they forget what they were originally supposed to convey or simply forget to mention one major detail.
Now, most people might be hesitant to simply cut someone off mid-conversation as they don't want to appear rude. However, if there's something that is worth mentioning like an important deadline or a piece of information that will change the way people complete their assignments, then interrupting someone is always fair game.
With that being said, admitting to their mishap is also another thing someone can do. Most people will ignore their rude behavior in favor of saying what they need to say. However, the other person in question can quickly become annoyed by simply choosing to interrupt without acknowledging its rudeness.
So, while someone can say, "I think it's important to mention this," it's much more respectful to say, "I hate to interrupt you," first. Not only does this sound more respectful, but it also shows that the person in question has no ill intent.
7. ‘Can we pause for a moment?’
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Conversations can be a tricky thing to navigate. On one hand, someone doesn't want to interrupt or, worse, invalidate the other person's emotions. On the other hand, allowing emotions to run wild or for people to say whatever is on their mind with zero interruptions isn't always the wisest decision.
Especially in the case of a disagreement, refusing to pause or take a breather is the quickest way to go from zero to one hundred really quick. According to a study published in Communications Psychology, simply taking a five-second break when people are arguing could help defuse an intense situation.
That being said, there is always a respectful way to kindly tell someone that they should pause. And a phrase brilliant people use to interrupt someone without being rude is, "Hold up, let's pause for a moment."
Most people don't want to pause, and some might even resist initially. Depending on how intense the conversation is, they might even react negatively, no matter what someone says. Yet repeating this phrase in a calm and collected manner is the best way to ensure that someone remains as respectful and kind as possible.
8. ‘Let me finish this thought and then I’ll give you my undivided attention’
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It's awkward when someone is yapping a person's ear off while they're in the middle of something. Although most people want to be kind and respectful, at some point, they may simply have to be honest and tell someone to stop talking so they can finish their work.
After all, distraction can be especially damaging. According to Oregon State University Academic Success Center Learning Corner, when it comes to learning and mastery requires deep concentration. As a result, any interruptions or distractions make it increasingly harder to do so.
With this in mind, a phrase brilliant people use to interrupt someone without being rude is, "Let me finish this, then I'll give you my undivided attention."
Sometimes, people need to be reminded that someone is busy for them to kindly stop talking. Now, does this mean someone should turn to the other person and tell them to stop talking? No. But reminding them respectfully and telling them that they will get their time to talk in a moment is the best way to interrupt someone without being rude.
9. ‘I’m sorry to cut you off, but I need to leave’
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It's no fun to listen to someone ramble while you have places to be. Staring at the clock in despair, it's all too tempting to tell someone to stop talking so you can speed off to work or home. However, before those words come tumbling out of the mouth, pause for a moment, and take a deep breath. There are other ways to handle things.
For starters, being honest and speaking up about your needs is very important. Oftentimes, people forget to say what they truly need, and as a result, their needs are never met. This is bad because never feeling heard can quickly lead to resentment, which can lead to the ending of important friendships or relationships if people aren't careful.
So, the next time someone needs to leave, don't be afraid to cut a friend or partner off and say, "Hey, I'm sorry to cut you off, but I need to leave." Not only is this the respectful thing to do, but it's also a great way to prevent resentment and other negative emotions from festering up.
10. ‘While we’re on the subject, let me share something really quick’
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It's important not to let an opportunity pass by because you are shy or reluctant to interrupt a person's train of thought. That being said, there's a delicate balance between interrupting and being rude. So, to ensure that people remain open and can express themselves, a phrase brilliant people use to interrupt someone without being rude is, "While we're on the subject, let me share something really quick."
It's important to address something once the opportunity presents itself. According to a study published in Current Opinion in Psychology, honesty has been associated with improved well-being. And while in some cases, it might be useful to lie (yes, your cooking is great Aunt Suzy), in the cases of exchanging opinions, it's always better to be respectfully honest.
11. ‘May I interrupt briefly’
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Finally, a phrase brilliant people use to interrupt someone without being rude is saying, "May I interrupt briefly?" Once again, being direct is important when needing to express oneself. People aren't mind-readers and might not always know or remember if someone wants to talk or needs to talk.
So, when someone is unsure if they should interrupt, the best thing to do is simply ask if they can. If the person says, "In a minute," then hold them to it. This means that if they continue to talk or ramble on, then simply reminding them of their promise should do the trick.
Some people might feel hesitant to do this. After all, they don't want to be disliked or seen as rude. However, according to a study in 2022, researchers found that people who talk more were more liked than people who listened more.
So, while staying silent might seem like their best bet, talking is actually the best route to go.
Marielisa Reyes is a writer with a bachelor's degree in psychology who covers self-help, relationships, career, family, and astrology topics.