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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in importunate
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of importune
Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 20 Apr. 2024
In 1982, she was importuned to join the board of Bronx River Restoration and readily accepted.
—Sam Roberts, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2024
For one thing, Acts 156 and 157 alleged in the complaint pick out actions Trump took on September 17, 2021, still importuning Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to decertify the election.
—Aziz Huq, Time, 21 Aug. 2023
Said brother was importuned only occasionally, a distant wingman to these sorties.
—Wyatt Mason, Harper's Magazine, 6 Jan. 2023
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
Evan Dudley, al, 2 Nov. 2022
Verb
Four years later the line was importuned for Robinson Cano.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 20 Apr. 2024
In 1982, she was importuned to join the board of Bronx River Restoration and readily accepted.
—Sam Roberts, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2024
For one thing, Acts 156 and 157 alleged in the complaint pick out actions Trump took on September 17, 2021, still importuning Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to decertify the election.
—Aziz Huq, Time, 21 Aug. 2023
Said brother was importuned only occasionally, a distant wingman to these sorties.
—Wyatt Mason, Harper's Magazine, 6 Jan. 2023
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
Adjective
The Blazers did not turn the ball over but importune mistakes resulted in the Owls taking an early lead and eventually surging ahead in the second half.
—Evan Dudley, al, 2 Nov. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for importune
Verb
-
Maybe we are left with begging for mercy, or readying for the fight.—
Anita Chabria,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2025
-
That’s just from begging a bum-a– dude to buy me flowers, to just having so much fruition in my career.—
Michael Saponara,
Billboard,
13 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Though her lawyer successfully petitioned a judge to prevent Ozturk from being removed from Massachusetts, records show federal authorities flew her to a detention facility in Louisiana in violation of that court order.—
Orlando Sentinel and Virginian Pilot Editorial Boards,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 Apr. 2025
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After weeks of negotiations directly with the buyers, and more than a year of fighting via legal channels, Taylor agreed not to petition a federal court to vacate an arbitration ruling that said Rodriguez and Lore didn’t violate the terms of their original agreement as Taylor had claimed.—
Eben Novy-Williams,
Sportico.com,
2 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
If heartburn is bothersome or keeps you up at night, taking ACV before bed may be a safe method for relief.—
Johna Burdeos,
Health,
7 Apr. 2025
-
If your garden consists entirely of fruit trees, however, then chickens could roam free and forage for the larvae of those bothersome fig beetles, which have become an increasingly annoying pest in recent years.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
29 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Importune.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/importune. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.
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