as in to beg
to make a request to (someone) in an earnest or urgent manner
she was always importuning people for favors, even when she had no right to ask
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in importunate
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of importune
Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 20 Apr. 2024
In 1982, she was importuned to join the board of Bronx River Restoration and readily accepted.
—Sam Roberts, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2024
For one thing, Acts 156 and 157 alleged in the complaint pick out actions Trump took on September 17, 2021, still importuning Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to decertify the election.
—Aziz Huq, Time, 21 Aug. 2023
Said brother was importuned only occasionally, a distant wingman to these sorties.
—Wyatt Mason, Harper's Magazine, 6 Jan. 2023
This may be in part because those whose first overtures were ignored conclude that the widow wants to be left alone, and thus cease to importune her.
—Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 22 Aug. 2022
Stewart Dickerson, 64, is charged with importuning and disseminating matter harmful to juveniles, according to jail records.
—Madeline Mitchell, Cincinnati.com, 28 Feb. 2020
In exchange for his guilty plea, Cuyahoga County prosecutors dropped charges of importuning and possessing criminal tools.
—Cory Shaffer, cleveland, 26 Feb. 2020
He is charged with importuning, a fifth-degree felony, court records say.
—Evan MacDonald, cleveland, 4 Feb. 2020
Evan Dudley, al, 2 Nov. 2022
Verb
Four years later the line was importuned for Robinson Cano.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 20 Apr. 2024
In 1982, she was importuned to join the board of Bronx River Restoration and readily accepted.
—Sam Roberts, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2024
For one thing, Acts 156 and 157 alleged in the complaint pick out actions Trump took on September 17, 2021, still importuning Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to decertify the election.
—Aziz Huq, Time, 21 Aug. 2023
Said brother was importuned only occasionally, a distant wingman to these sorties.
—Wyatt Mason, Harper's Magazine, 6 Jan. 2023
This may be in part because those whose first overtures were ignored conclude that the widow wants to be left alone, and thus cease to importune her.
—Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 22 Aug. 2022
Stewart Dickerson, 64, is charged with importuning and disseminating matter harmful to juveniles, according to jail records.
—Madeline Mitchell, Cincinnati.com, 28 Feb. 2020
In exchange for his guilty plea, Cuyahoga County prosecutors dropped charges of importuning and possessing criminal tools.
—Cory Shaffer, cleveland, 26 Feb. 2020
He is charged with importuning, a fifth-degree felony, court records say.
—Evan MacDonald, cleveland, 4 Feb. 2020
Adjective
The Blazers did not turn the ball over but importune mistakes resulted in the Owls taking an early lead and eventually surging ahead in the second half.
—Evan Dudley, al, 2 Nov. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for importune
Verb
-
There is a literal abundance of riches begging to be sipped.Hudson Lindenberger, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
-
The teen lived long enough to call his father, begging for help in his final moments.John Annese, New York Daily News, 12 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Last month, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s lawyer, Aaron Siri, petitioned the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to revoke approval of the polio vaccine.Dr. Hannah Wunsch, TIME, 9 Jan. 2025
-
In a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland on Monday, Trump's attorneys demanded the report be blocked, while two former co-defendants petitioned U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon to prevent the release of any report related to the Florida case.Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 7 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
However, in fall 2020, Kitchin started feeling a bothersome pain on the inside of her left thigh.Vanessa Etienne, Peoplemag, 15 July 2024
-
For fans who view replay as a bothersome interruption: rest easy — while out-safe and other review calls are currently reviewed by a team of umpires looking at slow-motion video to determine the right call, ABS is pretty straightforward: Did the tracker have the ball in the zone or not?Ken Rosenthal, The Athletic, 25 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near importune
Cite this Entry
“Importune.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/importune. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share