12 definitions found for Importune

Importune IMPORTU'NE, v.t. [L. importunus; in and porto, to bear on.]
To request with urgency; to press with solicitation; to urge with frequent or unceasing application.
Their ministers and residents here have perpetually importuned the court with unreasonable demands.
IMPORTU'NE, a. [L. importunus. Formerly accented on the second syllable.]
1. Pressing in request; urgent; troublesome by frequent demands; vexatious; unreasonable.
2. Unseasonable.
[This word is obsolete; being superseded by importunate, unless perhaps in poetry.]

importune v 1: beg persistently and urgently; "I importune you to help them" [syn: importune, insist]

importune entropium

importune c.1425 (implied in importunely), from M.Fr. importuner, from M.L. importunari "to make oneself troublesome," from L. importunus "unfit, troublesome," originally "having no harbor" (i.e. "difficult to access"), from in- "not" + portus "harbor" (see port). Importunate is 1529, from L. importunus.

importune I. adjective Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French importun, from Latin importunus, from in- + -portunus (as in opportunus fit) — more at opportune Date: 15th century importunate • importunely adverb II. verb (-tuned; -tuning) Date: 1530 transitive verb 1. a. to press or urge with troublesome persistence b. archaic to request or beg for urgently 2. annoy, trouble intransitive verb to beg, urge, or solicit persistently or troublesomely Synonyms: see beg • importuner noun

importune
v.tr.
1 solicit (a person) pressingly.
2 solicit for an immoral purpose.
Etymology: F importuner or med.L importunari (as IMPORTUNATE)

importune (importunes, importuning, importuned) If someone importunes another person, they ask them for something or ask them to do something, in an annoying way. (FORMAL) One can no longer walk the streets without seeing beggars importuning passers by. = pester VERB: V n, also V n to-inf, V n for n [disapproval]

importune ɪmˈpɔ:tju:n v.tr. 1 solicit (a person) pressingly. 2 solicit for an immoral purpose. [F importuner or med.L importunari (as IMPORTUNATE)]

Importune Im`por*tune", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Importuned; p. pr. & vb. n. Importuning.] [From Importune, a.: cf. F. importuner.] 1. To request or solicit, with urgency; to press with frequent, unreasonable, or troublesome application or pertinacity; hence, to tease; to irritate; to worry. Their ministers and residents here have perpetually importuned the court with unreasonable demands. --Swift. 2. To import; to signify. [Obs.] ``It importunes death.'' --Spenser.

Importune Im`por*tune", v. i. To require; to demand. [Obs.] We shall write to you, As time and our concernings shall importune. --Shak.

importune v. a. Press (by entreaty), urge (by repeated requests), beset, entreat, dun, solicit earnestly.

84 Moby Thesaurus words for "importune": advocate, aggravating, annoying, appeal, apply pressure, approach, beg, beseech, beset, besiege, blandish, bothering, bothersome, bug, buttonhole, cajole, call on, call upon, coax, crave, disturbing, dun, entreat, exasperating, exert pressure, exhort, galling, harassing, high-pressure, implore, importunate, insist, insist upon, invoke, irking, irksome, irritating, jawbone, lobby, make a pass, make advances, make an overture, nag, nag at, overture, pesky, pester, pestering, pestiferous, pestilent, pestilential, plague, plaguesome, plaguey, plaguing, plead, plead with, ply, pray, press, pressure, proposition, provoking, push, recommend, soft-soap, solicit, supplicate, sweet-talk, tease, teasing, throw a pass, tiresome, tormenting, troublesome, troubling, urge, vexatious, vexing, wearisome, wheedle, work on, worrisome, worrying