insist - 5 dictionary results
in⋅sist
[in-sist]
–verb (used without object)
–verb (used with object)
| 1. | to be emphatic, firm, or resolute on some matter of desire, demand, intention, etc.: He insists on checking every shipment. |
| 2. | to lay emphasis in assertion: to insist on the justice of a claim. |
| 3. | to dwell with earnestness or emphasis (usually fol. by on or upon): to insist on a point in a discussion. |
| 4. | to assert or maintain firmly: He insists that he saw the ghosts. |
| 5. | to demand or persist in demanding: I insist that you see this thing through. |
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
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Language Translation for : insist
| Spanish: | insistir, | German: | bestehen auf, | Japanese: | 主張する |
| in·sist
(ĭn-sĭst') Pronunciation Key
v. in·sist·ed, in·sist·ing, in·sists v. intr. To be firm in a demand or course; refuse to yield: insisted on giving me a second helping. v. tr. To assert or demand (something) vehemently and persistently: We insist that you accept these gifts. [Latin īnsistere, to persist : in-, on; see in-2 + sistere, to stand; see stā- in Indo-European roots.] in·sis'tence, in·sis'ten·cy n., in·sist'er n., in·sist'ing·ly adv. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
insist
1586, from L. insistere "persist, dwell upon, stand upon," from in- "upon" + sistere "take a stand" (see assist). Insistence is attested from 1436.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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| insist | |
verb | |
| 1. | be emphatic or resolute and refuse to budge; "I must insist!" |
| 2. | beg persistently and urgently; "I importune you to help them" [syn: importune] |
| 3. | assert to be true; "The letter asserts a free society" |
WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.
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Insist
In*sist"\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Insisted; p. pr. & vb. n. Insisting.] [F. insister, L. insistere to set foot upon, follow, persist; pref. in- in + sistere to stand, cause to stand. See Stand.]1. To stand or rest; to find support; -- with in, on, or upon. [R.] --Ray. 2. To take a stand and refuse to give way; to hold to something firmly or determinedly; to be persistent, urgent, or pressing; to persist in demanding; -- followed by on, upon, or that; as, he insisted on these conditions; he insisted on going at once; he insists that he must have money. Insisting on the old prerogative. --Shak. Without further insisting on the different tempers of Juvenal and Horace. --Dryden. Syn: Insist, Persist. Usage: Insist implies some alleged right, as authority or claim. Persist may be from obstinacy alone, and either with or against rights. We insist as against others; we persist in what exclusively relates to ourselves; as, he persisted in that course; he insisted on his friend's adopting it. --C. J. Smith.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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