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verb

importune

to ask someone pressingly and persistently for something

In a sentence

Six example sentences with importune, each labelled with its topic.

  • The novel's beggar importunes every traveler at the gate until one of them finally asks for his story.

    Literature

  • The young actor importuned the director for weeks, waiting outside the studio gate until he was handed two lines.

    Movies

  • Collectors importune her endlessly for a commission, though she has painted only three canvases in the past decade.

    Art

  • The founder importuned the same investor for a year, sending updates every Monday until she finally agreed to a meeting.

    Startups

  • Lobbyists importune the minister at every reception, pressing the same request about the port until her aides intervene.

    Politics

  • Fans importuned the band for an encore, chanting the song's title for ten minutes after the house lights came up.

    Music

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Found in these word lists

Found in 3 published word listsRecognized

Each source is a published word list that contains importune. No exam board publishes an official GRE, GMAT or SAT list; GMAT words come from GRE lists and the Academic Word List.

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