insistent
Americanadjective
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earnest or emphatic in dwelling upon, maintaining, or demanding something; persistent; pertinacious.
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compelling attention or notice.
an insistent tone.
adjective
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making continual and persistent demands
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demanding notice or attention; compelling
the insistent cry of a bird
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of insistent
1615–25; < Latin insistent- (stem of in-sistēns ), present participle of insistere. See insist, -ent
Explanation
Insistent means "unwilling to let go or back down." If a salesperson is insistent, you may find it hard to walk away without buying something. Insistent shares a root with the verb insist: the Latin word insistere, which means "persist, dwell upon, stand upon." If you are insistent, you won't take "no" for an answer, dwelling on your ideas, standing up for your position. Insistent can also mean "demanding attention," like the insistent ringing of the telephone at a busy office or the insistent cries of a hungry baby.
Vocabulary lists containing insistent
Unit 1: Telling Details
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Unit 1: Telling Details
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"The Metamorphosis," Vocabulary from the novella
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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.
That era’s prime-time schedules illustrate the tension between insistent progress and a yearning for supposedly simpler times – a feeling similar to what we’re experiencing now.
From Salon ● Jul. 11, 2026
Tuchel, however, is insistent Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson will build the midfield platform - but there is no doubt England lacked ideas and variety for long periods.
From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2026
But behind the scenes, Beijing feels more emboldened, and more insistent on defending areas it regards as vital to its long-term strategic interests.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 12, 2026
And I’m wondering why, if you can make sense of the fact that he is so insistent on getting these projects done, when there doesn’t seem to be any obvious political benefit to him.
From Slate ● May 7, 2026
But I let her talk, let her voice counter the unspoken, insistent ones that emanate from my broken mind.
From "Every Day" by David Levithan
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.
