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.
-
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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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:
Bosses admit staff feel "devastated" that patient confidence could be dented but insist the hospital performs better than many others on patient safety, including survival rates.
From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2026
It is far easier to insist that the alternative would be worse.
From Salon ● Oct. 22, 2026
Watching someone insist on their version of reality in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary evokes all manner of emotions: disgust, anger, disbelief, admiration and, of course, doubt.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026
Instead, they insist that the details will be provided after they have carried out a “soft credit check.”
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 19, 2026
“But we insist that you need it. For your future healing.”
From "The Light in Hidden Places" by Sharon Cameron
These days he’s a religious gent and a shepherd to drifting youth, a golf addict, sober as a mullah, and insists his critics have always taken him far too seriously.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026
Campaigners claim this has not happened in practice, but the government insists it will happen in future.
From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2026
Mr. Lévy insists that these “cold riots have nothing in common with May 1968,” when he joined the protest movement as a young adult.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026
McKinney insists campaign support won’t influence his decision-making in office.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026
Padva insists on making her a less formal version of the ivory-and-black gown in peach and cream, finishing a sketch in a matter of minutes.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
Through it all, Huerta insisted her primary loyalty remained la causa — the struggle to win better wages, working and living conditions for poor people, particularly farmworkers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026
But she insisted the plaintiffs were pursuing a legal question.
From Barron's ● Oct. 26, 2026
Speaking to Slate, Sand insisted he disdained the party system despite the fact that he not only was a two-time statewide elected official as a Democrat but had worked on Democratic campaigns in his youth.
From Slate ● Oct. 26, 2026
The officials insisted the process is “purely Venezuelan-led” with the U.S. “facilitating and accompanying the process.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 25, 2026
“So you can tell me,” I insisted again.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
Maher’s punch-left, pat-right comedy has been stale for years, but he’s still insisting he’s owed a platform.
From Salon ● Oct. 28, 2026
Bacelar has consistently denied buying dogs from breeders, insisting that all of her dogs qualify as rescues because they are animals in need.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026
Mutharika has previously dismissed speculation about his health, describing such claims as "silly and laughable" and insisting that he was well.
From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026
However, the store pushed back against her account, insisting that the bird Clarkson wanted was not for sale and that employees had offered to help her find an alternative.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 19, 2026
Nollie stuck by Cocky, insisting she would have answered the same way.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
