importune

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verb

im·por·tune ˌim-pər-ˈtün

-ˈtyün;

im-ˈpȯr-ˌt(y)ün,

-chən

importuned; importuning; importunes

Synonyms of importune next

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

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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.

Choose the Right Synonym for importune

beg, entreat, beseech, implore, supplicate, adjure, importune mean to ask urgently.

beg suggests earnestness or insistence in the asking.

they begged for help

entreat implies an effort to persuade or to overcome resistance.

entreated me to join them

beseech and implore imply a deeply felt anxiety.

I beseech you to have mercy

implored her not to leave him

supplicate suggests a posture of humility.

with bowed heads they supplicated their Lord

adjure implies advising as well as pleading.

we were adjured to tell the truth

importune suggests an annoying persistence in trying to break down resistance to a request.

importuning viewers for contributions

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

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 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'importune.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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

Time Traveler

The first known use of importune was in the 15th century

See more words from the same century