Wiktionary

importune

See also: importuné

English

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WOTD – 25 November 2011

Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

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From Middle French importuner and its etymon Medieval Latin importūnor (“to make oneself troublesome”), from Latin importūnus (“unfit, troublesome”), originally "having no harbor".[1]

Verb

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importune (third-person singular simple present importunes, present participle importuning, simple past and past participle importuned)

  1. (transitive) To bother, irritate, trouble.
  2. (transitive) To harass with persistent requests.
  3. (transitive) To approach to offer one's services as a prostitute, or otherwise make improper proposals.
  4. (obsolete, transitive) To import; to signify.
Derived terms
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Translations
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Etymology 2

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From Middle English importune, inportune, from Anglo-Norman and Middle French importun and its etymon Classical Latin importūnus.[2]

Adjective

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importune (comparative more importune, superlative most importune)

  1. (obsolete) Grievous, severe, exacting.
  2. (obsolete) Inopportune; unseasonable.
  3. (obsolete) Troublesome; vexatious; persistent.
Derived terms
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Noun

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importune (plural importunes)

  1. (obsolete) Synonym of importuner.
    • 1589, [George Puttenham], “Of Decencie in Behauiour Which Also Belongs to the Consideration of the Poet or Maker”, in The Arte of English Poesie. […], London: […] Richard Field, […], →OCLC, pages 247–248:
      And yet in ſome Courts it is otherwiſe vſed, for in Spaine it is thought very vndecent for a Courtier to craue, ſuppoſing that it is the part of an importune: […]
    • a. 1735, Roger North, “The Times Clearing Up, and How”, in Examen: or, An Enquiry into the Credit and Veracity of a Pretended Complete History; […], London: […] Fletcher Gyles […], published 1740, →OCLC, part III, page 644:
      Which ſhew that importunate People will affirm any Thing, to ſerve Turns, though never fo ſenſeleſs; hoping ſome, that underſtand little, or are very willing, will give credit upon their Authority: And, if Juſtice muſt ſtay till ſuch Importunes are ſatisfied, there’s a ne plus ultra of all Law.
    • 1813 August 12, Lady Hester Stanhope, The Nun of Lebanon: The Love Affair of Lady Hester Stanhope and Michael Bruce: Their Newly Discovered Letters, London: Collins […], published 1951, →OCLC, page 282:
      The Priests of the Holy Land sent me a letter he had written them about me thanking them for their civility to me, & desiring they wd. serve me in every thing &c, therefore these confounded importunes laid themselves at my feet, but his letter was admirable, nobody ever saw such a thing, his coats of Arms printed upon a paper as large as a gazette extraordinary and full as large as my hand open!!!

References

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  1. ^ “importune, v.”, in OED Online  ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.
  2. ^ “importune, adj. and n.”, in OED Online  ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.

Anagrams

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French

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Pronunciation

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Verb

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importune

  1. inflection of importuner:
    1. first/third-person singular present indicative/subjunctive
    2. second-person singular imperative

Italian

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Adjective

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importune f pl

  1. feminine plural of importuno

Anagrams

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Latin

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Adjective

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importūne

  1. vocative masculine singular of importūnus

References

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  • “importune”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  • “importune”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891), An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
  • “importune”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.

Portuguese

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Verb

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importune

  1. inflection of importunar:
    1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
    2. third-person singular imperative

Spanish

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Verb

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importune

  1. inflection of importunar:
    1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
    2. third-person singular imperative
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