importunar (spanish) - meaning, definition, translation, pronunciation

Part of Speech

Verbo (verb)

Phonetic Transcription

/impɔɾtuˈnaɾ/

Translation Options into English

• To importune
• To harass
• To pester

Meaning and Usage

"Importunar" is a verb that refers to making persistent and often annoying requests or inquiries. It implies a sense of urgency or insistence that may lead to discomfort or annoyance for the person being importuned. It is frequently used in both oral and written contexts, primarily in legal settings, to describe behaviors that might infringe on someone's rights or personal space.

Frequency of Use

The word is relatively common, particularly in formal and legal discourse. Its usage may be less common in casual conversations.

Example Sentences

1. El abogado la acusó de importunar a su clienta con constantes llamadas.
   The lawyer accused her of importuning his client with constant phone calls.

2. Es inapropiado importunar a las personas en su tiempo privado.
   It is inappropriate to importune people in their private time.

3. El vendedor insistió en importunar a los clientes con ofertas que no les interesaban.
   The salesperson insisted on importuning customers with offers that did not interest them.

Idiomatic Expressions

"Importunar" is commonly used in various idiomatic expressions in Spanish-speaking cultures, often highlighting the annoying persistence of one party towards another.

Example Idiomatic Expressions

1. No olvides que de tanto importunar, al final puede que te digan que sí.
   Don’t forget that by importuning so much, in the end, they might just say yes.

2. Siempre está importunando a sus compañeros con preguntas irrelevantes.
   He is always importuning his colleagues with irrelevant questions.

3. Importunar es un arte que algunos manejan con destreza.
   Importuning is an art that some manage skillfully.

4. Ella no hace más que importunarme con sus quejas sobre el trabajo.
   She keeps on importuning me with her complaints about work.

5. No está bien importunar a los demás, hay que respetar su espacio.
   It’s not right to importune others; one must respect their space.

Etymology

The verb "importunar" comes from the Late Latin word "importunare," which means to "disturb" or "trouble." The root can be traced further back to the Latin "importunus," meaning "inopportune" or "disagreeable," combining the prefix "in-" (not) with "portunus" (opportune).

Synonyms and Antonyms

Synonyms: - Molestar (to bother) - Aprehender (to apprehend, in the sense of taking up someone's time) - Importunar (to pester)

Antonyms: - Respetar (to respect) - Liberar (to free) - Dejar en paz (to leave in peace)