importunate

comparative more importunate · superlative most importunate

1. Persistent or pressing, often annoyingly so.

   Trembling in every limb I raise my loud im­portunate cry, And in a sacred terror wait the Delian god’s reply.

   1928, W[illiam] B[utler] Yeats, Sophocles’ King Oedipus: A Version of the Modern Stage, London: Macmillan and Co., […], →OCLC

   1 more example

   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.

   1889–1890, Henry James, The Tragic Muse […], volume (please specify the page), Boston, Mass.; New York, N.Y.: Houghton Mifflin Company […], published 7 June 1890, →OCLC

2. Given to importunate demands, greedily or thoughtlessly demanding.

   [...] if you reprimand or punish them, be assured every one will consider you importunate as well as ridiculous.

   1833, Elisabeth Celnart, The Gentleman and Lady's Book of Politeness and Propriety of Deportment: Dedicated to the Youth of Both Sexes, Allen and Ticknor and Carter, Hendee, →LCCN, →OCLC, →OL, page 15

plural importunates

1. An importuner.

   This will put an Answer into the Kings mouth, against all importunates.

   1751 (written 1641), John Pym, “A Worthy Speech spoken in Parliament, by Mr. Pym, concerning evil Counsellors about his Majesty”, in A Collection of Scarce and Valuable Tracts, on the Most Interesting and Entertaining Subjects, volume 1, page 306

present singular third person importunates · participle present importunating · participle past importunated · past importunated

1. rareTo importune, or to obtain by importunity.

   Is my work ended? The fear of importunating my friends answers, “Yes.”

   1847 December 18, N. Roussel, “Spiritual Destitution of Paris.—Appeal to British Christians”, in Evangelical Christendom: Its State and Prospects, Volume II (1848), Partridge and Oakey, page 43

   2 more examples

   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.

   1581 June 23, Thomas Churchyard, letter to Sir Christopher Hatton, in Sir Harris Nicolas (editor), Memoirs of the Life and Times of Sir Christopher Hatton, K.G., Richard Bentley (publisher, 1847), page 173

   It is the concrete that impresses, that importunates until it influences—in writing as in everything else.

   1910 July, David Leslie Brown, “The Need of To-day”, in Sunset, Volume 25, Southern Pacific Company, reverse of frontispiece