Adjacent Words

Insist definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

INSIST', v.i. [L.insisto; in and sisto, to stand.]
1. Literally, to stand or rest on. [Rarely used.]
2. In geometry, an angle is said to insist upon the arc of the circle intercepted between the two lines which contain the angle.
3. To dwell on in discourse; as, to insist on a particular topic.
To insist on, to press or urge for any thing with immovable firmness; to persist in demands; as, to insist on oppressive terms in a treaty; to insist on immediate payment of a debt.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: be emphatic or resolute and refuse to budge; "I must insist!" [syn: insist, take a firm stand]
2: beg persistently and urgently; "I importune you to help them" [syn: importune, insist]
3: assert to be true; "The letter asserts a free society" [syn: insist, assert]

Merriam Webster's

verb Etymology: Middle French or Latin; Middle French insister, from Latin insistere to stand upon, persist, from in- + sistere to take a stand; akin to Latin stare to stand — more at stand Date: 1586 intransitive verb 1. to be emphatic, firm, or resolute about something intended, demanded, or required <they insist on going> 2. archaic persist transitive verb to maintain in a persistent or positive manner <insisted that the story was true>

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v.tr. (usu. foll. by that + clause; also absol.) maintain or demand positively and assertively (insisted that he was innocent; give me the bag! I insist!). Phrases and idioms: insist on demand or maintain (I insist on being present; insists on his suitability). Derivatives: insister n. insistingly adv. Etymology: L insistere stand on, persist (as IN-(2), sistere stand)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Insist In*sist", v. i. [imp. & p. p. Insisted; p. pr. & vb. n. Insisting.] [F. insister, L. insistere to set foot upon, follow, persist; pref. in- in + sistere to stand, cause to stand. See Stand.] 1. To stand or rest; to find support; -- with in, on, or upon. [R.] --Ray. 2. To take a stand and refuse to give way; to hold to something firmly or determinedly; to be persistent, urgent, or pressing; to persist in demanding; -- followed by on, upon, or that; as, he insisted on these conditions; he insisted on going at once; he insists that he must have money. Insisting on the old prerogative. --Shak. Without further insisting on the different tempers of Juvenal and Horace. --Dryden. Syn: Insist, Persist. Usage: Insist implies some alleged right, as authority or claim. Persist may be from obstinacy alone, and either with or against rights. We insist as against others; we persist in what exclusively relates to ourselves; as, he persisted in that course; he insisted on his friend's adopting it. --C. J. Smith.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(insists, insisting, insisted) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. 1. If you insist that something should be done, you say so very firmly and refuse to give in about it. If you insist on something, you say firmly that it must be done or provided. My family insisted that I should not give in, but stay and fight... She insisted on being present at all the interviews... I didn't want to join in, but Kenneth insisted. VERB: V that, V on -ing/n, V 2. If you insist that something is the case, you say so very firmly and refuse to say otherwise, even though other people do not believe you. The president insisted that he was acting out of compassion, not opportunism... 'It's not that difficult,' she insists... Crippen insisted on his innocence. VERB: V that, V with quote, V on n

Moby Thesaurus

advocate, affirm, allege, announce, annunciate, argue, assert, assever, asseverate, aver, avouch, avow, blandish, brook no denial, cajole, call for, call on, call upon, coax, command, contend, declare, demand, dwell on, emphasize, enunciate, exhort, expostulate, express, force upon, have, high-pressure, hold, importune, insist on, insist upon, issue a manifesto, jawbone, lay down, lobby, maintain, manifesto, nag, persist, plead with, ply, ply upon, predicate, press, press upon, pressure, proclaim, profess, pronounce, protest, push, push upon, put, put it, recommend, remonstrate, require, say, set down, soft-soap, speak, speak out, speak up, stand for, stand on, state, stick to, stress, submit, sweet-talk, take no denial, thrust upon, urge, urge upon, vow, wheedle, work on