importune
/im'pɔ:tju:n/
Definition
- Verb:
- To beg or ask persistently and urgently: To make repeated, insistent, and often troublesome requests or demands of someone.
Examples of Usage
- Verb:
- The beggar would importune every passerby for money.
- She felt she had to importune her boss for a raise, as he kept ignoring her initial requests.
- Reporters importuned the celebrity for a comment as he left the courthouse.
Advanced Usage
- Importuning can describe a specific, often socially or legally problematic, level of persistent solicitation.
- The city passed a law against importuning for business on public streets.
- The term can imply a degree of annoyance or harassment due to the persistence.
- He was arrested for importuning after repeatedly following and asking strangers for favors.
Variants and Related Words
- Importunate (adj): Persistently demanding or urgent.
- His importunate requests for attention became exhausting.
- Importunity (n): The quality of being importunate; persistent solicitation.
- She finally agreed just to end his importunity.
Synonyms
- Beseech: To ask earnestly or urgently.
- Implore: To beg desperately.
- Pester: To trouble or annoy with frequent or persistent requests.
- Badger: To pester persistently.
Related Phrases
- To importune someone for something: The typical structure for making the request clear.
- He importuned the council for funds to repair the bridge.
Related Idioms
- None that feature the verb "importune" as the core component. The word itself carries the idiomatic force of excessive, troublesome begging.
Verb
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beg persistently and urgently
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I importune you to help them
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