Jane Welsh Carlyle

How many precious things do we not already possess which others have not - have hardly an idea of! Let us enjoy these, then, and bless God that we are permitted to enjoy them, rather than importune His goodness with vain longings for more.

Scottish Writer

Jonathan Zittrain

Thanks to iCloud and other services, the choice of a phone or tablet today may lock a consumer into a branded silo, making it hard for him or her to do what Apple long importuned potential customers to do: switch.

American Educator

Michel de Montaigne

If a man should importune me to give a reason why I loved him, I find it could no otherwise be expressed, than by making answer: because it was he, because it was I.

French Philosopher

Thomas Gray

Too poor for a bribe, and too proud to importune, he had not the method of making a fortune.

English Poet

Use 'importune' to show the person being asked is likely to be annoyed or troubled by the persistent requests.

Annoyance Factor

The word captures not just asking but doing so repeatedly over a period of time.

Persistence Implied

'Importune' often suggests the request may be at an inconvenient time or place.

Inconvenience Highlighted

Use 'importune' when a request is made out of desperation, showing great urgency or need.

Urgency and Need

Implies an emotional intensity in the plea, more than just asking; it is begging earnestly.