Importunity refers to a persistent and often annoying or forceful request. It describes the act of making repeated demands in a way that can be insistent and troublesome.
Understanding Importunity
When someone displays importunity, they are not simply asking for something once. Instead, they are making a request over and over again, usually with a strong, insistent, or even bothersome manner, until their plea is acknowledged or granted. This persistence often stems from a strong desire or need, but its repeated nature can become irritating to the recipient.
Key Characteristics of Importunity:
- Repeated Nature: The request is made multiple times, not just once.
- Forceful or Insistent: The manner in which the request is made is often strong, demanding, or unyielding.
- Annoying or Troublesome: The persistent nature of the request can become bothersome or vexing to the person being asked.
Practical Examples of Importunity
To better grasp the meaning, consider these scenarios:
- Saving oneself from persistent requests: One might eventually accept an offer simply to escape the continuous and forceful demands of another person. For instance, "I finally took what he offered me to save myself from his importunities."
- Yielding to relentless demands: A person might give in to a request after being subjected to a series of insistent pleas. For example, "Finally, she rose and opened the door to her sister's importunities." This implies the sister had been knocking, calling out, or otherwise persistently seeking entry until her sister conceded.
In essence, importunity highlights a situation where persistent and sometimes overwhelming requests lead to a specific outcome, often due to the sheer weariness or desire to end the repeated solicitation.
