importunate

adjective

im·por·tu·nate | \ im-ˈpȯr-chə-nət

How to pronounce importunate (audio)

, -tyu̇-nət \

Definition of importunate

1 : troublesomely urgent : overly persistent in request or demand importunate creditors

2 : troublesome

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Did You Know?

Importunate has been part of the English language since the 16th century, and the synonymous "importune" arrived even earlier, in the 15th century. The seemingly superfluous inclusion of the suffix -ate in "importunate" is a bit mysterious; one theory is that English speakers modeled the adjective after words like "obstinate." "Importune" and "importunate" come from Latin importunus. The prefix im- means "not," and "importunus" can be contrasted with Latin opportunus, which shares its meaning with and is the ancestor of our opportune, meaning "suitable or timely." (The connection is obscure now, but "opportunus" itself harks back to the Latin phrase ob portum, meaning "[coming] to harbor.") "Importune," and later "importunate," once meant "inopportune, untimely," but that sense is now obsolete.

Examples of importunate in a Sentence

the demands of the chairmanship were becoming too importunate for me to continue without an assistant

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Dictionary Entries near importunate

imported fire ant

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Cite this Entry

“Importunate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/importunate. Accessed 21 Apr. 2021.

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More Definitions for importunate

importunate

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of importunate

formal

: making repeated or annoying requests or demands

: causing annoyance or trouble

See the full definition for importunate in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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