importunate

adjective

im-ˈpȯr-chə-nət How to pronounce importunate (audio)
Definition of importunatenext
as in urgent
needing immediate attention the demands of the chairmanship were becoming too importunate for me to continue without an assistant

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of importunate Dragonfly males are so importunate that some females play dead to avoid their advances. — Elizabeth Kolbert, New Yorker, 22 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for importunate
  1. urgent
  2. acute
Adjective
  • As work at the track progressed, one urgent mitigation project upriver lagged.
    — Abe Streep, ProPublica, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Everything feels mellow and unhurried, as if time stopped long ago and there’s nothing urgent to attend to.
    — Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of urgent
Adjective
  • Looking forward, adding Tesla will simply make a new SpaceX’s huge need for cash far more acute.
    — Shawn Tully, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
  • For North Carolina, where our infrastructure recently received a C- from the American Society of Civil Engineers, the need for ongoing federal funding for road and highway improvements feels particularly acute.
    — Kevin Blackwell, Charlotte Observer, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of acute

Browse Nearby Words

imports
importunate
importune
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“Importunate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/importunate. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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