importunate

  • 1Importunate — Im*por tu*nate ([i^]m*p[^o]r t[ u]*n[asl]t), a. [See {Importune}.] 1. Troublesomely urgent; unreasonably solicitous; overpressing in request or demand; urgent; teasing; as, an importunate petitioner, curiosity. Whewell. [1913 Webster] 2. Hard to… …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 2importunate — index important (urgent), insistent, obligatory, precatory, urgent Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …

    Law dictionary

  • 3importunate — (adj.) 1520s, from IMPORTUNE (Cf. importune) + ATE (Cf. ate), or else from M.L. importunatus, pp. of importunari. Related: Importunately (mid 15c.) …

    Etymology dictionary

  • 4importunate — *pressing, urgent, imperative, crying, insistent, exigent, instant Analogous words: demanding, claiming, requiring (see DEMAND): persistent, persevering (see corresponding verbs at PERSEVERE): pertinacious, dogged (see OBSTINATE) …

    New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • 5importunate — [adj] demanding, insistent burning, clamant, clamorous, crying, disturbing, dogged, earnest, exigent, harassing, imperative, instant, overly solicitous, persevering, persistent, pertinacious, pressing, solicitous, troublesome, urgent; concepts… …

    New thesaurus

  • 6importunate — ► ADJECTIVE ▪ persistent or pressing. DERIVATIVES importunately adverb importunity noun (pl. importunities) . ORIGIN Latin importunus inconvenient , from Portunus, the god who protected harbours …

    English terms dictionary

  • 7importunate — [im pôr′choo nit, im pôr′chənit] adj. [< L importunus (see IMPORTUNE) + ATE1] 1. urgent or persistent in asking or demanding; insistent; refusing to be denied; annoyingly urgent or persistent 2. Obs. troublesome; annoying importunately adv.… …

    English World dictionary

  • 8importunate — [[t]ɪmpɔ͟ː(r)tʃʊnət[/t]] ADJ (disapproval) If you describe someone as importunate, you think they are annoying because they keep trying to get something from you. [FORMAL] His secretary shielded him from importunate visitors. Syn: troublesome …

    English dictionary

  • 9importunate — adjective Date: 1528 1. troublesomely urgent ; overly persistent in request or demand < importunate creditors > 2. troublesome • importunately adverb • importunateness noun …

    New Collegiate Dictionary

  • 10importunate — importunately, adv. importunateness, n. /im pawr cheuh nit/, adj. 1. urgent or persistent in solicitation, sometimes annoyingly so. 2. pertinacious, as solicitations or demands. 3. troublesome; annoying: importunate demands from the children for&#8230; …

    Universalium