1
: demanding that something happen or that someone do something
My friends were insistent that I go. = They were insistent on my going. [=they insisted that I go]
He was insistent about paying for dinner. [=he insisted on paying for dinner; he insisted that he should pay for dinner]
2
: happening for a long time and very difficult to ignore
an insistent drumbeat
We listened to the insistent crashing of waves on the beach.
Cite this Entry
“Insistent.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/insistent. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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