What does importunate mean?
Importunate describes a person, request, or demand that is persistently pressing and difficult to ignore. The word often carries a mildly negative or disapproving implication, suggesting that the person seeking something is not accepting a refusal and may be applying more pressure than is appropriate. It is especially associated with formal, legal, and financial language, as in an importunate creditor or importunate appeals to a court. Although the word can suggest urgency, its primary focus is on relentless persistence rather than on the objective importance of the matter. In everyday speech, it conveys that a request has become tiresome or unwelcome. The term derives from the Latin importunus, meaning inconvenient or untimely, through the English importune and the now-established adjective importunate.
adjectivePersistent in making a request, especially in a way that is difficult to ignore or unwelcome. It can also mean pressing or demanding with undue urgency.
- Persistent in asking or demanding something, especially in a way that is difficult to ignore or unwelcome.
"Her importunate appeals to the landlord finally persuaded him to repair the broken heating system."
"The importunate customer demanded a refund after the company had already offered a replacement."
"Faced with importunate creditors, the business sought a formal extension on its debts."
To be importunate is to keep pressing until your request becomes impossible to ignore—even when the answer is still no.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does importunate come from?
Importunate comes from the Latin importunus, meaning inconvenient, unseasonable, or troublesome, and entered English through the older form importune, meaning to demand insistently. The modern adjective developed in the early 17th century, when importune became importunate. The word is related to opportune and opportunity, which descend from the same Latin root associated with portunus, a convenient or favorable time.
Related word forms
How importunate is actually used
The word has a formal, sometimes disapproving tone: it emphasizes the persistence or unwelcome pressure of a request rather than its urgency in a neutral sense. It is common in legal, financial, and literary contexts.
Easily confused with importunate
Important means significant or consequential, whereas importunate describes someone who is persistently and often unpleasantly pressing a request.