importunate
/ɪmˈpɔɹt͡ʃənət/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.60 in modern English
15
Scrabble Score
11
Letters
4
Syllables
10
Unique Chars
Meaning
adj
Persistent or pressing, often annoyingly so.
adj
Given to importunate demands, greedily or thoughtlessly demanding.
noun
An importuner.
verb
To importune, or to obtain by importunity.
Example Sentences
- "Nick was on the point of declaring again that he was a humbug, so vivid was his inner sense of what he thought of his factitious public utterances, which had the cursed property of creating dreadful responsibilities and importunate credulities for him."
- "Trembling in every limb I raise my loud importunate cry, And in a sacred terror wait the Delian god’s reply."
- "[...] if you reprimand or punish them, be assured every one will consider you importunate as well as ridiculous."
- "This will put an Answer into the Kings mouth, against all importunates."
- "All which notwithstanding, I obtained licence at length to make my supplication to the noble Parliament house; but I could find no messengers till Sir John Seton went, whom I importunated daily to obtain me favor for my return home again."
- "Is my work ended? The fear of importunating my friends answers, “Yes.”"
Etymology
First attested in 1477, in Middle english; from Latin importūnus + -ate (adjective-forming suffix), modelled on Middle French importuné. By surface analysis, importune + -ate (compare inopportune). The noun was substantivized from the adjective, see -ate (noun-forming suffix).
Origin
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ɪmˈpɔɹt͡ʃənət/
- British English: /ɪmˈpɔːtjʊnət/
Inflected Forms
more importunate (comparative)
most importunate (superlative)
importunates (plural)
importunates (present, singular)
importunating (participle, present)
importunated (participle, past)
importunated (past)