Importune
(pronounced im-pawr-toon or im-pawr-tyoon or im-pawr-chun) verb
Definition
to urge, entreat, or press persistently and excessively (in a bid to dissolve somebody’s resistance to a demand or request); make repeated requests or solicitations, to the point of being annoying.
Other Forms
Importunate (pronounced im-pawr-chuh-nit) adjective [Definition: troublesomely urgent or persistent (in one’s request or demand); entreating to the point of annoyance or offense.]
Main Example
- “Not a bad year to be a college graduate” read a recent newspaper headline. Indeed, thanks to a steadily improving economy, 2014 is turning out to be much better than 2013 for graduating students. The last several months have seen recruiters importuning, every which way, the most promising of the newly minted grads.
Workplace Examples
- I’m amazed to hear that Maya keeps calling you for help with this project. She just doesn’t seem like a person who would importune anybody, least of all someone like you who is only a passing acquaintance.
- Michael is the kind of guy who’ll bug you to death when he wants something done. He can become really tiresome...and importunate.
Other Examples
- this author remarking: “One of the public radio stations here in Southeast Texas really needs training on how to raise money. They’ve now increased their pledge drives to over half-a-dozen three-week-long campaigns each year. That’s more than one-third of the year spent importuning listeners for contributions.”
- parents having a hard time resisting the importunings of their children; a spendthrift constantly importuning his family members for money
- dinnertime becoming much more peaceful ever since a law banned the importunate calls of telemarketers
- the high profile Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation being importuned by charities from around the world; during their recent tour of Australia and New Zealand, Prince William and Princess Kate fielding importunate requests from the media for interviews and exclusive photographs
