What does importune mean?

• A. To urge with troublesome persistence
• B. To beg politely
• C. To retreat
• D. To accept

Answer: (A)

Importune means to press someone with repeated, nagging requests or demands, often in a way that is hard to ignore or becomes annoying. The best option captures that sense of persistent urging rather than a polite plea, a retreat, or an acceptance. For example, you might say, “He importuned his parents for a new bike every day,” which shows the insistence and the bothersome nature of the requests.

To beg politely would lack the nagging edge that importune conveys; retreat means to withdraw; and accept means to take what is offered. So the meaning centers on urging with troublesome persistence.