importune

1 of 2

verb

im·por·tune ˌim-pər-ˈtün How to pronounce importune (audio)

-ˈtyün;

im-ˈpȯr-ˌt(y)ün,

-chən

importuned; importuning; importunes

transitive verb

: to press or urge with troublesome persistence

archaic : to request or beg for urgently

: annoy, trouble

intransitive verb

: to beg, urge, or solicit persistently or troublesomely

importuner noun

importune

2 of 2

adjective

: importunate

importunely adverb

Did you know?

Importune has many synonyms—including beg, entreat, beseech, and implore. Beg suggests earnestness or insistence especially in asking for a favor ("the children begged to stay up late"). Entreat implies an effort to persuade or to overcome resistance ("she entreated him to change his mind"). Beseech implies great eagerness or anxiety ("I beseech you to have mercy"), and implore adds to beseech a suggestion of greater urgency or anguished appeal ("he implored her not to leave him"). But it is importune that best conveys irritating doggedness in trying to break down resistance to a request and the accompanying annoyance ("the filmmakers were importuning viewers for contributions"), as it has since Middle English speakers adopted it from Anglo-French.

Example Sentences

Verb He stood on the street corner, importuning passersby for help. He importuned them to help.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

This may be in part because those whose first overtures were ignored conclude that the widow wants to be left alone, and thus cease to importune her.

Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 22 Aug. 2022 Stewart Dickerson, 64, is charged with importuning and disseminating matter harmful to juveniles, according to jail records.

Madeline Mitchell, Cincinnati.com, 28 Feb. 2020 In exchange for his guilty plea, Cuyahoga County prosecutors dropped charges of importuning and possessing criminal tools.

Cory Shaffer, cleveland, 26 Feb. 2020 He is charged with importuning, a fifth-degree felony, court records say.

Evan Macdonald, cleveland, 4 Feb. 2020 Instead, Potter senior has to importune a surly centaur.

Jason Kehe, Wired, 11 Dec. 2019 Shawn Folsom, 41, is charged with one count of importuning, a felony in the fifth degree, police said in a release.

Madeline Mitchell, Cincinnati.com, 16 Nov. 2019 Investigators also discovered that Watson had an arrest for importuning in 1997 that was never prosecuted.

Rachel Dissell, cleveland, 13 Oct. 2019 There were reportedly other calls in which Trump importuned the Ukrainians this way.

Jonah Goldberg, National Review, 27 Sep. 2019 See More

Word History

Etymology

Verb

borrowed from Middle French & Medieval Latin; Middle French importuner "to tire, annoy by inappropriate persistence," borrowed from Medieval Latin importūnāre "to harass, pester," verbal derivative of Latin importūnus "unfavorable, inconvenient, adverse, troublesome, relentless" — more at importune entry 2

Adjective

Middle English, "persistent, overeager, fierce, cruel, grievous, troublesome," borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French, "persistently troublesome," borrowed from Latin importūnus "not suited to one's purpose, unfavorable, inconvenient, adverse, unaccommodating, troublesome, relentless," probably from im- im- + -portūnus (in opportūnus "favoring one's needs, serviceable, convenient") — more at opportune

Note: The Latin adjective importūnus appears to have been formed as a negative counterpart to opportūnus.

First Known Use

Verb

1530, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Legal Definition

importune

verb

im·por·tune

ˌim-pȯr-ˈtün, -ˈtyün; im-ˈpȯr-ˌtyün, -chən

importuned; importuning

transitive verb

: to press or urge with troublesome persistence

who solicits, requests, commands, importunes or intentionally aids another person to engage in conduct which constitutes an offense

General Statutes of Connecticut

intransitive verb

: to beg, urge, or press another persistently or troublesomely compare coerce, solicit

importune 1 of 2

verb

as in to beg

to make a request to (someone) in an earnest or urgent manner she was always importuning people for favors, even when she had no right to ask

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

beg
petition
entreat
supplicate
beseech
implore
ask
pray
conjure
besiege
solicit
require
call on
request
call upon
invoke
impetrate
compel
cadge
desire
appeal (to)
sue
force
plead (to)
coerce
insist
demand
mooch
bludge
sponge
claim
command

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

imply
suggest
please
oblige
gratify
appease
hint
satisfy
placate
conciliate
intimate
pacify
comfort
mollify
content
quiet
console

importune

2 of 2

adjective

as in importunate

Synonyms & Similar Words

importunate
displeasing
inconveniencing
bothersome
carking
nettling
vexatious
rankling
aggravating
pestiferous
vexing
burdensome
plaguey
plaguy
exasperating
irksome
annoying
discomforting
maddening
nettlesome
disquieting
riling
frustrating
pestilential
pesty
irritating
chafing
galling
abrasive
pesky
distressing
trying
troublesome
peeving
angering
rebarbative
infuriating
pestilent
enraging
upsetting
tiresome
disturbing
troubling
bratty
offensive
painful
mischievous
distractive
stressful
jangling
worrisome
brattish
biting
jarring
spiny
grating
thorny

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

delightful
pleasing

Synonym Chooser

Some common synonyms of importune are adjure, beg, beseech, entreat, implore, and supplicate. While all these words mean "to ask urgently," importune suggests an annoying persistence in trying to break down resistance to a request.

importuning viewers for contributions

Although the words adjure and importune have much in common, adjure implies advising as well as pleading.

we were adjured to tell the truth

The words beg and importune are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, beg suggests earnestness or insistence in the asking.

they begged for help

Both beseech and implore imply a deeply felt anxiety.

I beseech you to have mercy

implored her not to leave him

While the synonyms entreat and importune are close in meaning, entreat implies an effort to persuade or to overcome resistance.

entreated me to join them

In some situations, the words supplicate and importune are roughly equivalent. However, supplicate suggests a posture of humility.

with bowed heads they supplicated their Lord

单词	importune
释义	importune 1 of 2 verb im·por·tune ˌim-pər-ˈtün -ˈtyün; im-ˈpȯr-ˌt(y)ün, -chən importuned; importuning; importunes transitive verb 1 a : to press or urge with troublesome persistence b archaic : to request or beg for urgently 2 : annoy, trouble intransitive verb : to beg, urge, or solicit persistently or troublesomely importuner noun importune 2 of 2 adjective : importunate importunely adverb Did you know? Importune has many synonyms—including beg, entreat, beseech, and implore. Beg suggests earnestness or insistence especially in asking for a favor ("the children begged to stay up late"). Entreat implies an effort to persuade or to overcome resistance ("she entreated him to change his mind"). Beseech implies great eagerness or anxiety ("I beseech you to have mercy"), and implore adds to beseech a suggestion of greater urgency or anguished appeal ("he implored her not to leave him"). But it is importune that best conveys irritating doggedness in trying to break down resistance to a request and the accompanying annoyance ("the filmmakers were importuning viewers for contributions"), as it has since Middle English speakers adopted it from Anglo-French. Synonyms Verb appeal (to) beg beseech besiege conjure entreat impetrate implore petition plead (to) pray solicit supplicate See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Verb He stood on the street corner, importuning passersby for help. He importuned them to help. Recent Examples on the Web Verb This may be in part because those whose first overtures were ignored conclude that the widow wants to be left alone, and thus cease to importune her. Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 22 Aug. 2022 Stewart Dickerson, 64, is charged with importuning and disseminating matter harmful to juveniles, according to jail records. Madeline Mitchell, Cincinnati.com, 28 Feb. 2020 In exchange for his guilty plea, Cuyahoga County prosecutors dropped charges of importuning and possessing criminal tools. Cory Shaffer, cleveland, 26 Feb. 2020 He is charged with importuning, a fifth-degree felony, court records say. Evan Macdonald, cleveland, 4 Feb. 2020 Instead, Potter senior has to importune a surly centaur. Jason Kehe, Wired, 11 Dec. 2019 Shawn Folsom, 41, is charged with one count of importuning, a felony in the fifth degree, police said in a release. Madeline Mitchell, Cincinnati.com, 16 Nov. 2019 Investigators also discovered that Watson had an arrest for importuning in 1997 that was never prosecuted. Rachel Dissell, cleveland, 13 Oct. 2019 There were reportedly other calls in which Trump importuned the Ukrainians this way. Jonah Goldberg, National Review, 27 Sep. 2019 See More Word History Etymology Verb borrowed from Middle French & Medieval Latin; Middle French importuner "to tire, annoy by inappropriate persistence," borrowed from Medieval Latin importūnāre "to harass, pester," verbal derivative of Latin importūnus "unfavorable, inconvenient, adverse, troublesome, relentless" — more at importune entry 2 Adjective Middle English, "persistent, overeager, fierce, cruel, grievous, troublesome," borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French, "persistently troublesome," borrowed from Latin importūnus "not suited to one's purpose, unfavorable, inconvenient, adverse, unaccommodating, troublesome, relentless," probably from im- im- + -portūnus (in opportūnus "favoring one's needs, serviceable, convenient") — more at opportune Note: The Latin adjective importūnus appears to have been formed as a negative counterpart to opportūnus. First Known Use Verb 1530, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a Adjective 15th century, in the meaning defined above Kids Definition importune verb im·por·tune ˌim-pər-ˈtün -ˈtyün importuned; importuning : to beg or urge in a repeated or annoying way Salesmen importuned us to buy. Legal Definition importune verb im·por·tune ˌim-pȯr-ˈtün, -ˈtyün; im-ˈpȯr-ˌtyün, -chən importuned; importuning transitive verb : to press or urge with troublesome persistence who solicits, requests, commands, importunes or intentionally aids another person to engage in conduct which constitutes an offense General Statutes of Connecticut intransitive verb : to beg, urge, or press another persistently or troublesomely compare coerce, solicit importune 1 of 2 verb as in to beg to make a request to (someone) in an earnest or urgent manner she was always importuning people for favors, even when she had no right to ask Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance beg petition entreat supplicate beseech implore ask pray conjure besiege solicit require call on request call upon invoke impetrate compel cadge desire appeal (to) sue force plead (to) coerce insist demand mooch bludge sponge claim command Antonyms & Near Antonyms imply suggest please oblige gratify appease hint satisfy placate conciliate intimate pacify comfort mollify content quiet console See More importune 2 of 2 adjective as in importunate Synonyms & Similar Words importunate displeasing inconveniencing bothersome carking nettling vexatious rankling aggravating pestiferous vexing burdensome plaguey plaguy exasperating irksome annoying discomforting maddening nettlesome disquieting riling frustrating pestilential pesty irritating chafing galling abrasive pesky distressing trying troublesome peeving angering rebarbative infuriating pestilent enraging upsetting tiresome disturbing troubling bratty offensive painful mischievous distractive stressful jangling worrisome brattish biting jarring spiny grating thorny Antonyms & Near Antonyms delightful pleasing Synonym Chooser Some common synonyms of importune are adjure, beg, beseech, entreat, implore, and supplicate. While all these words mean "to ask urgently," importune suggests an annoying persistence in trying to break down resistance to a request. importuning viewers for contributions Although the words adjure and importune have much in common, adjure implies advising as well as pleading. we were adjured to tell the truth The words beg and importune are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, beg suggests earnestness or insistence in the asking. they begged for help Both beseech and implore imply a deeply felt anxiety. I beseech you to have mercy implored her not to leave him While the synonyms entreat and importune are close in meaning, entreat implies an effort to persuade or to overcome resistance. entreated me to join them In some situations, the words supplicate and importune are roughly equivalent. However, supplicate suggests a posture of humility. with bowed heads they supplicated their Lord
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importune

verb

adjective

Did you know?

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Kids Definition

verb

Legal Definition

verb

verb

adjective

Synonym Chooser