Importune
verb
To constantly ask someone to do something in a way that is annoying or inconvenient.
Despite the constant importuning, he refused to lend them his car.
Often appears as...
- importuning for help
- importuning for money
Usage tips
Formal
verb
To beg, urge, or plead desperately.
The child importuned his parents to buy the toy car he saw in the store.
Often appears as...
- importuned to buy
- importuned for mercy
Usage tips
Formal
verb
To constantly ask someone to do something in a way that is annoying or inconvenient.
Despite the constant importuning, he refused to lend them his car.
Often appears as...
- importuning for help
- importuning for money
Usage tips
Formal
verb
To beg, urge, or plead desperately.
The child importuned his parents to buy the toy car he saw in the store.
Often appears as...
- importuned to buy
- importuned for mercy
Usage tips
Formal
Definition 1 of 2
Pro Tip 1/3Annoyance Factor
Use 'importune' to show the person being asked is likely to be annoyed or troubled by the persistent requests.
She began to importune her brother, daily demanding he fix her laptop.
Pro Tip 2/3Persistence Implied
The word captures not just asking but doing so repeatedly over a period of time.
His friends continued to importune him for a ride despite his initial refusal.
Pro Tip 3/3Inconvenience Highlighted
'Importune' often suggests the request may be at an inconvenient time or place.
He would importune her for a loan, even during her busiest hours at work.
Pro Tip 1/3Annoyance Factor
Use 'importune' to show the person being asked is likely to be annoyed or troubled by the persistent requests.
She began to importune her brother, daily demanding he fix her laptop.
Pro Tip 2/3Persistence Implied
The word captures not just asking but doing so repeatedly over a period of time.
His friends continued to importune him for a ride despite his initial refusal.
Pro Tip 3/3Inconvenience Highlighted
'Importune' often suggests the request may be at an inconvenient time or place.
He would importune her for a loan, even during her busiest hours at work.
Pro Tip 1/3Annoyance Factor
Use 'importune' to show the person being asked is likely to be annoyed or troubled by the persistent requests.
She began to importune her brother, daily demanding he fix her laptop.
Pro Tip 2/3Persistence Implied
The word captures not just asking but doing so repeatedly over a period of time.
His friends continued to importune him for a ride despite his initial refusal.
Pro Tip 3/3Inconvenience Highlighted
'Importune' often suggests the request may be at an inconvenient time or place.
He would importune her for a loan, even during her busiest hours at work.
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Quote examples
Jane Welsh Carlyle
Scottish Writer
How many precious things do we not already possess which others have not - have hardly an idea of! Let us enjoy these, then, and bless God that we are permitted to enjoy them, rather than importune His goodness with vain longings for more.
Quote examples
Jonathan Zittrain
American Educator
Thanks to iCloud and other services, the choice of a phone or tablet today may lock a consumer into a branded silo, making it hard for him or her to do what Apple long importuned potential customers to do: switch.
Quote examples
Michel de Montaigne
French Philosopher
If a man should importune me to give a reason why I loved him, I find it could no otherwise be expressed, than by making answer: because it was he, because it was I.
Quote examples
Thomas Gray
English Poet
Too poor for a bribe, and too proud to importune, he had not the method of making a fortune.
Quote examples
Jane Welsh Carlyle
Scottish Writer
How many precious things do we not already possess which others have not - have hardly an idea of! Let us enjoy these, then, and bless God that we are permitted to enjoy them, rather than importune His goodness with vain longings for more.
Quote examples
Jonathan Zittrain
American Educator
Thanks to iCloud and other services, the choice of a phone or tablet today may lock a consumer into a branded silo, making it hard for him or her to do what Apple long importuned potential customers to do: switch.
Quote examples
Michel de Montaigne
French Philosopher
If a man should importune me to give a reason why I loved him, I find it could no otherwise be expressed, than by making answer: because it was he, because it was I.
Quote examples
Thomas Gray
English Poet
Too poor for a bribe, and too proud to importune, he had not the method of making a fortune.
Example 1 of 4
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