verb
importuner
bother
Demander quelque chose de façon répétée et gênante, au point d’embêter une personne.
Definition & meaning
The verb importuner means to annoy, bother, pester, or trouble someone, often through persistent or unwelcome actions. It implies causing someone a feeling of irritation or impatience due to unwanted attention or interference.
- To bother or irritate: To cause someone to feel annoyed by being intrusive or by interrupting their peace. For example, a salesperson who refuses to leave you alone is importuner you.
- To pester or harass: In a more persistent sense, it refers to repeated actions that disturb someone against their will, such as constant questioning or solicitations.
Grammar & Word origin
- Grammar: It is a transitive verb (vt), meaning it requires a direct object (e.g., "Il m'importune" - He is bothering me).
- Origin: The word comes from the Middle French importuner, which traces back to the Late Latin importunus (meaning troublesome, inconvenient, or literally "without a harbor," implying a lack of ease or a difficult arrival). It is related to the noun importunité.
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonyms
- Ennuyer (to annoy or bore)
- Déranger (to disturb)
- Incommoder (to inconvenience)
- Harceler (to harass/pester)
- Fatiguer (to tire out/wear someone out)
Antonyms
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Examples
Je ne veux pas vous importuner.verb
I do not want to bother you.
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