Meaning & use
insist
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Meanings
verbintransitive
To say firmly that something must happen, happen in a particular way, or be accepted as true.
Grammar: Often followed by on/upon or that: insist on leaving; insist that she stay.
Patterns
- insist on something
- insist on doing something
- insist that someone do something
- insist to someone that
She insisted on paying for dinner even though we offered to split it.
The guide insisted that everyone wear a helmet before starting the climb.
He insists to reporters that the report is accurate.
verbtransitive or intransitive
To continue firmly with a demand, claim, or course of action despite disagreement or difficulty.
Grammar: Can take a noun object: insist your rights; or be used with on/that: insist on your rights.
Patterns
- insist something
- insist on something
- insist that
The union insists better safety checks before the factory reopens.
They insisted their innocence when questioned by officials.
I wouldn't insist the plan if the data looked unsafe.
Word forms
| third person singular | insists |
|---|---|
| past tense | insisted |
| past participle | insisted |
| -ing form | insisting |
Common combinations
- insist on doing something
- My neighbor insists on watering my plants whenever I travel.
- insist that someone should do something
- The teacher insisted that the essay should be rewritten more clearly.
- firmly/strongly insist
- Doctors strongly insist that patients finish the full course of antibiotics.
- insist on an apology
- After the mix-up, she insisted on an apology from the manager.
Synonyms and how they differ
- demand
- Demand stresses authority and a requirement; insist often stresses firmness even against refusal.
- persist
- Persist means continue doing something; insist means firmly state or demand rather than merely continue.
- maintain
- Maintain means keep claiming something is true; insist adds pressure for acceptance.
Opposites
Word family
- insistence noun
- The act of insisting; firm demand or pressure.
- insistent adjective
- Firm and repeated; hard to ignore.
- insistently adverb
- In a firm, repeated way.
Commonly confused: insist or insist? insist or resist?
insist vs insist
Learners sometimes write 'insist in' by analogy with 'result in'; the usual pattern is insist on or insist that.
insist vs resist
Resist means oppose or refuse to accept; insist means demand or state firmly.
Practice
Choose the natural sentence.
Choose one answer.
Insist is commonly followed by on + gerund: insist on leaving. 'Insist in' and 'insist at' are not standard patterns, and bare 'insist leaving' misses the required preposition.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “insist”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.