insist
Americanverb (used without object)
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insists,
present (3rd person singular)
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insisted,
past participle, past
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insisting
present participle
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to be emphatic, firm, or resolute on some matter of desire, demand, intention, etc..
He insists on checking every shipment.
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to lay emphasis in assertion.
to insist on the justice of a claim.
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to dwell with earnestness or emphasis (usually followed by on orupon ).
to insist on a point in a discussion.
verb
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to make a determined demand (for)
he insisted that his rights be respected
he insisted on his rights
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to express a convinced belief (in) or assertion (of)
he insisted that she was mad
he insisted on her madness
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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insisternoun
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overinsistverb (used without object)
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reinsistverb (used without object)
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superinsistverb (used without object)
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insistinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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insistsimple
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insistssimple
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have insistedperfect
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has insistedperfect
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am insistingprogressive
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are insistingprogressive
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is insistingprogressive
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have been insistingperfect progressive
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has been insistingperfect progressive
Past
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insistedsimple
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had insistedperfect
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was insistingprogressive
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were insistingprogressive
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had been insistingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of insist
First recorded in 1580–90; from Latin insistere “to stand still on, persist in,” from in- in- 2 + sistere “to cause to stand, stop” ( see also stand)
Explanation
To insist on something is to demand or swear to it. You can insist that you didn't eat the last piece of cake, and then insist that your brother show your mom the bits of frosting on his fingers. The verb insist comes from the Latin insistere, meaning “persist,” “dwell upon,” or “stand on.” To insist on something, like a room with a view, is to say that you must have it. To insist that you never met that man before in your life — even though there's a picture of the two of you together — is to claim that you're telling the truth. To insist on tapping your foot on the chair leg is annoying.
Vocabulary lists containing insist
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"Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" by Rudyard Kipling
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
But the Houthis insist they are holding their territory, and military sources from both sides contacted by AFP have not reported any major changes on the ground.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
As Jordan, Rock delivers an insult comedy act about everything wrong with the town, including studio executives who insist he shoot Vancouver for Detroit.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026
Statisticians I have consulted insist that it’s almost certainly a coincidence that those three particularly terrible months for the market happened to occur in October.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 2026
Family members of some Manta fishermen insist they weren’t shipping drugs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
“Jonah and I make no sense,” I insist.
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
So while history insists it’s wise to greet any success by the U.S. with a generous amount of skepticism, the early returns suggest this cycle could be different.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
He insists he reached Greece without any passport—or his family’s knowledge.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
He says E-Day will provide a "great foundation" for future games in the series, and insists "the next game will not take nearly as long" to make.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
The European Union insists that, yes, its law known as the AI Act is powerful enough since it forces companies to assess and mitigate risks, under threat of massive fines or even bans.
From Barron's ● Oct. 6, 2026
That takes up a whole page in our notebook because Sara insists on making little drawings of each ingredient.
From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan
Throughout October, the Dodgers have consistently admitted that Ohtani’s health still wasn’t at 100% but insisted that he was capable of contributing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
In the debut episode, Robach and Holmes detailed how the scandal unfolded and insisted they’d been quietly separated from their spouses before their love affair began.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026
Lokesh has also insisted that "residential requirements will always be prioritised over data centres", according to a statement.
From Barron's ● Oct. 11, 2026
He had insisted on a beachfront wedding, which sounds romantic until you learn that Ashe has a fear of the ocean.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
Torak insisted, forcing himself to give the Raven Leader stare for stare.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
His office later sought to clarify the remarks, insisting "there can't be any suggestion that anyone is above the rules".
From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026
Russian authorities have played down the reports, determining the woman died of pneumonia and insisting there was no risk of an outbreak.
From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026
Lance Armstrong had spent years vehemently and aggressively insisting that he had won all seven of his Tour de France titles between 1999 and 2005 without the help of performance-enhancing drugs.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
But Victoria defied him the moment she came of age, insisting that Conroy was “neither my servant, nor adviser, nor ever was.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
He thought he had prepared well, insisting on the expedition’s readiness.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
