importunate

Adjective

importunate (comparative more importunate, superlative most importunate)

1. Persistent or pressing, often annoyingly so.
   • 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
   • 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
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

Noun

importunate (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...

Verb

UK/ɪmˈpɔːtjuːneɪt/US/ɪmˈpɔɹtjuːneɪt/

importunate (third-person singular simple present importunates, present participle importunating, simple past and past participle importunated)

1. (rare) To importune, or to obtain by importunity.
   • 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)...
   • 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