importunity
im·por·tun·i·ty/ˌɪmpəˈtjuːnɪti/noun
importunity is spelled I-M-P-O-R-T-U-N-I-T-Y: 11 letters and 5 syllables (im·por·tun·i·ty). It appears about once in every 37 million words in written English, the 187,122nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, importunity means “Constant and insistent demanding or proposing, especially if regarded as annoying or upsetting; also, the character of such behaviour; (countable) an…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of importunity is importunities.
How many letters and syllables are in importunity?
| Letters | 11: I-M-P-O-R-T-U-N-I-T-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 5: im·por·tun·i·ty |
| In writing | about once in every 37 million words; the 187,122nd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is importunity?
Importunity appears about once in every 37 million words in written English, the 187,122nd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce importunity?
- UK /ˌɪmpəˈtjuːnɪti/
- UK /-pɔː-/
- UK /-t͡ʃuː-/
Importunity has 5 syllables, split im·por·tun·i·ty in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-NaomiAmethyst-importunity.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with importunity?
2 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as importunity from its last stressed vowel (/unɪti/, British pronunciation):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of importunity
- importunities plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does importunity mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
Constant and insistent demanding or proposing, especially if regarded as annoying or upsetting; also, the character of such behaviour; (countable) an instance of this.
- 2
obsoleteThe fact of being at an inappropriate or unsuitable time; unseasonableness.
- 3
obsoletePersistence in behaviour; determination, perseverance, stubbornness.
- 4
obsoleteThe quality of being annoying or troublesome; difficulty, trouble; (countable) an instance of this.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Importunity in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense constant and insistent demanding or proposing, especially if regarded as annoyin:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | importunité |
| German | Aufdringlichkeit, ständiges Bedrängen |
| Portuguese | importunidade |
| Spanish | importunidad |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does importunity come from?
From Late Middle English importunitie, importunyte (“insistence, persistence; grievance; hardship, trouble; inappropriateness (?)”), from Anglo-Norman importunité, and Middle French importunité (“persistent demand; hardship, trouble; something difficult or troublesome; inappropriateness”) (modern French importunité), and their etymon Latin importūnitās (“insolence, rudeness; oppressiveness, relentlessness; unfitness, unsuitableness”), from importūnus (“annoying; rude; inconvenient; unsuitable”) + -tās (suffix forming feminine abstract nouns denoting states of being).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).