Meaning & use
insisted
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“insisted” is a form of “insist”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitive or intransitive
Past tense of insist: said very firmly that something is true, even though others doubted it.
Grammar: Can take a that-clause or follow 'on': she insisted that she was right; he insisted on his innocence.
Patterns
- insist that something is the case
- insist on something
She insisted that she had locked the door before leaving.
He insisted on his innocence throughout the trial.
They insisted it was only a rumour, but nobody believed them.
verbtransitive or intransitive
Past tense of insist: demanded firmly that something be done or that someone do it, refusing to accept a no.
Grammar: Often followed by 'on' plus -ing, or by a that-clause with a base verb: she insisted on paying; she insisted that he sit down.
Patterns
- insist on doing something
- insist that someone do something
My aunt insisted on paying for dinner.
The teacher insisted that everyone arrive on time.
He insisted we stay for coffee, so we stayed another hour.
Word forms
| present | insist |
|---|---|
| third person singular | insists |
| -ing form | insisting |
Common combinations
- insisted on paying
- He insisted on paying for the tickets.
- insisted that
- The witness insisted that she had seen the car.
- insisted on going
- She insisted on going home on foot.
- strongly insisted
- The coach strongly insisted that the team rest.
- repeatedly insisted
- The company repeatedly insisted that the product was safe.
Synonyms and how they differ
- demanded
- Demanded is stronger and sounds like an order, while insisted allows for politeness, as when a host insists you take a seat.
- maintained
- Maintained is calmer and means kept saying something was true, without the sense of pushing others to agree.
- asserted
- Asserted is formal and states a claim confidently, but it does not suggest refusing to take no for an answer.
Opposites
Word family
- insistence noun
- the act of firmly demanding or declaring something
- insistent adjective
- firmly demanding attention or action
- insistently adverb
- in a firm, repeated way
- insist verb
- the base verb
Commonly confused: insisted or persisted?
insisted vs persisted
Persisted means kept going despite difficulty, while insisted means firmly said or demanded something.
Practice
The host ___ on paying for everyone's meal, even though we offered to share the bill.
Choose one answer.
'Insisted on paying' means firmly refused to let others pay. 'Persisted' would need 'in', 'assisted' and 'consisted' take different patterns and meanings.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “insisted”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.