▪ I. importune, a. (n.)
(ɪmpɔːˈtjuːn, ɪmˈpɔːtjuːn)
Also 5 yn-, in-, 6 ym-.
[ME. a. F. importun, -une (15th c. in Hatz.-Darm.) = It., Sp. importuno, ad. L. importūn-us unfit, unsuitable, inconvenient, troublesome, grievous, f. im- (im-2): cf. Portūnus the protecting god of harbours, f. portu-s harbour, port. The same stem is found in opportūn-us opportune.]
† 1. Inopportune, untimely; unseasonable, unfit.
| c 1425 [implied in importunely 1]. 1529 More Comf. agst. Trib. i. Wks. 1169/1, I haue thys daye done you much trybulacion with my importune obieccions, of very litle substaunce. 1597 A. M. tr. Guillemeau's Fr. Chirurg. *iv, Such fruictes are never importune, nether at anye time out of season. 1634 Rainbow Labour (1635) 17 Both Importunate, and Importune Labour;..the first is labour too earnest, too sollicitous; the second is labour out of its due time, unseasonable. 1650 Bulwer Anthropomet. 120 These actions are somewhat importune and unwelcome guests at Feasts. 1704 Swift Batt. Bks. in Misc. (1711) 264 A Wild Ass, with Brayings Importune, affronts his Ear. |
† 2. Troublesome, burdensome; vexatious; grievous, heavy, severe, exacting. Obs.
| c 1400 Rom. Rose 5632 And for he nyl be importune Unto no wight, ne honerous. 1412–20 Lydg. Chron. Troy i. v, The streyght waye is so importune, So dredeful eke and so full of rage. 1494 Fabyan Chron. vii. 486 By theyr inportune charges, the comynaltie was greatly enpouerysshed. 1540 Act 32 Hen. VIII, c. 43 Which is to peinfull chargeable intollerable and importune, for any man to susteine and abyde. 1590 Spenser F.Q. i. xii. 16 They did..often blame the too importune fate That heapd on him so many wrathfull wreakes. 1604 N. D. 3rd Pt. Three Convers. Eng. 263 A detestable, cruell, horrible and importune monster. 1683 D. A. Art Converse 19 They cannot be but importune to us by their long and languishing narratives. 1864 Carlyle Fredk. Gt. xv. vi. IV. 90 Treaties, vaporous Foreshadows of Events..are importune to human nature, longing for the Events themselves. |
† 3. Pressing, urgent; busy. Obs.
| c 1450 tr. De Imitatione iii. Contents xliv. 61 That man be not importune in worldly erendes. c 1475 Plumpton Corr. (Camden) 33 The labor is so importune, that I cannot attend it without I shold do nothing ells. 1526 Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 129 The good aungelles contende not, they be not importune or to busy, they crye not. 1576 Fleming Panopl. Epist. 76 Although my busines be so weightie and importune, that I can obteine but little leasure. 1647 Ward Simp. Cobler 63 The importune Affaires of your Kingdome [are] perplexedly suspended. |
4. Persistent or pressing in solicitation; pertinacious; irksome through persistency of request.
| 1447 O. Bokenham Seyntys Introd. (Roxb.) 6 The importune and besy preyere Of oon whom I love. c 1460 Fortescue Abs. & Lim. Mon. xx. (1885) 156 Importune suters wil gape vpon such reuersiouns. 1535 Coverdale Luke xviii. 5 Yet seynge this weddowe is so importune vpon me I will delyuer her. 1641 J. Jackson True Evang. T. iii. 229 Our Saviour..made as though hee would have gone farther, that they might grow the more importune with him to stay. a 1734 North Exam. ii. v. §83 (1740) 367 He was so importune in the Matter, that one of the Chiefs was provoked to say he spoke with a Cadence, but Nothing to the Purpose. 1890 E. Johnson Rise Christendom 106 Vices are importune spirits sent forth from Tartarus' caves. |
† B. n. [= F. importun.] One who is importune or troublesome in soliciting. Obs.
| 1589 Puttenham Eng. Poesie iii. xxiv. (Arb.) 302 In Spaine it is thought very vndecent for a Courtier to craue, supposing that it is the part of an importune. a 1734 North Exam. (1740) 644 (D.) If justice must stay till such importunes are satisfied, there's a ne plus ultra of all law. |
▪ II. importune, v.
(ɪmpɔːˈtjuːn, ɪmˈpɔːtjuːn)
[a. F. importune-r (1512 in Godef. Compl.) = It. importunāre (Florio), Sp. importunar (Percivall), med.L. importūnārī, -āre, f. importūnus: see prec.]
† 1. trans. To burden; to be troublesome or wearisome to; to trouble, worry, pester, annoy.
| 1578 T. N. tr. Conq. W. India 140 Did so importune him and assure him of his going, he commaunded his fardage to be laden. 1598 Yong Diana 17 It was my ill hap, that one of them sat next vnto me, to make me infortunate as long as her memorie did importune me. 1661 Evelyn Mem. (1857) III. 136, I shall, whenever..it may least importune his privacy, make the inventory of particulars. 1781 Fletcher Lett. Wks. 1795 VII. 232 If bodies could move as quick as thought they would be importuned frequently with my company. 1788 Gibbon Decl. & F. lxx. VI. 607 Of his two immediate successors..Nicholas the Fifth, [was] the last who was importuned by the presence of a Roman emperor. |
† 2. To press, urge, impel. Also absol. Obs.
| 1603 Shakes. Meas. for M. i. i. 57 We shall write to you As time, and our concernings shall importune. 1615 Chapman Odyss. vi. 270 O queen, deign pity then, since first to you My fate importunes my distress to vow. |
3. To solicit pressingly and persistently; to ply or beset with requests or petitions.
| 1530 Palsgr. 590/1, I importune one, I werye hym by importunate sute making to him for a mater. c 1585 Faire Em iii. 699 A man that you do not a little esteem, hath long importuned me of love. 1590 Shakes. Com. Err. i. i. 127 My yongest boy..importun'd me That his attendant..Might beare him company in the quest of him. 1644 Milton Areop. (Arb.) 41 Ye were importun'd the passing it. 1676 Hobbes Iliad (1677) 298 ‘My friends’, said he, ‘importune me no more To eat or drink before we go to fight’. 1719 Young Revenge v. ii, He..importunes the skies for swift perdition. 1734 tr. Rollin's Rom. Hist. (1827) III. 25 The Kings themselves importuned him to that purpose. 1817 Byron Beppo lxii, Meantime the goddess I'll no more importune. 1849 Macaulay Hist. Eng. iii. I. 300 Some officers..after vainly importuning the government during many years, had died for want of a morsel of bread. |
| fig. 1586 A. Day Eng. Secretary i. (1625) 27 Being importuned by the dispatch of some present affaires..to have some conference with her Majestie, he went. 1601 Weever Mirr. Mart. C vj, No day which would not me to wars importune. a 1704 T. Brown Praise Poverty Wks. 1730 I. 98 The man that is importun'd with the craving pains of a hunger. 1800–24 Campbell Song of Colonists ii, A land, where beauties importune The Briton to its bowers. |
4. To ask for (a thing) urgently and persistently; to crave or beg for.
| 1588 Shakes. L.L.L. ii. i. 32 The daughter of the King of France..Importunes personall conference with his grace. 1596 Spenser F.Q. v. ix. 44 Then gan the Peoples cry and Commons sute Importune care of their owne publicke cause. a 1674 Clarendon Hist. Reb. xv. §34 It was very strange that any Men should importune the putting such a Question. 1695 Kennett Par. Antiq. ix. 228 The nobles..greatly importun'd his stay. 1870 Bryant Iliad II. xvi. 113 A little girl that by her mother's side Runs, importuning to be taken up. |
5. a. intr. To make urgent solicitation; to be importunate.
| 1548 Q. Katheryn in Ellis Orig. Lett. Ser. i. II. 151, I wold not wyssche yow importune for hys good wyll, yf y{supt} cum nott frankely at the fyrst. 1661 Feltham Resolves i. xvii. 33, I will neither importune too much upon unwilling minds. 1761 Gray Sketch own Char., Too poor for a bribe, and too proud to importune; He had not the method of making a fortune. 1871 R. Ellis Catullus viii. 13 He will not ask for pity, will not importune. |
b. To solicit for purposes of prostitution.
| 1847 Act 10 & 11 Vict. c. 89 §28 Every Person who..commits any of the following Offences..may be committed to Prison... Every common Prostitute or Nightwalker loitering and importuning Passengers for the Purpose of Prostitution. 1943 C. E. Vulliamy Polderoy Papers 79 Even the prostitutes no longer ‘importune’, but hand you politely their cards. 1958 Times 17 Dec. 11/4 A severe national law already punishes any man who persistently solicits or importunes for immoral purposes. |
¶ 6. To import, portend. (A Spenserian misuse.)
| 1590 Spenser F.Q. iii. i. 16 But the sage wisard telles, as he has redd, That it importunes death and dolefull drery⁓hedd. 1598 Marston Pygmal. xxv. 130 Thus hauing said, he riseth from the floore, As if his soule diuined him good fortune..For all his thoughts did all good luck importune. |
Hence importuned ppl. a., importuning vbl. n. and ppl. a.
| 1611 Chapman Iliad xx. argt., The rest, all shunning their importun'd fates, Achilles beats even to the Ilian gates. 1660 Milton Free Commw. Wks. (1851) 427 Our once importuning Prayers against the Tyranny which we then groan'd under. 1660 Gauden Gods Great Demonstr. 40 His many forewarnings, importunings, and beseechings of men to flye from the wrath to come. 1720 Gay Dione in Poems II. 434 No Cleanthes interrupt my woe With importuning love. 1890 Athenæum 23 Aug. 254/2 The result of three years' constant importuning. 1958 Times 17 Dec. 11/4 The bill ignores the graver offence of importuning. This is mainly an activity of men. 1969 Daily Tel. (Colour Suppl.) 10 Jan. 7 Advertisements from importuning homosexuals. |