molest

verb

mo·​lest mə-ˈlest 

molested; molesting; molests

transitive verb

1

: to make unwanted or improper sexual advances towards (someone)

especially : to force physical and usually sexual contact on (someone)

He was sent to prison for molesting children.

2

somewhat old-fashioned : to annoy, disturb, or persecute (a person or animal) especially with hostile intent or injurious effect

Who doth molest my contemplation?

—Shakespeare

Bees flew past him, bees flew into him, bees settled upon his coat, bees paused questioningly in front of him … but not a single bee molested him.

—P. G. Wodehouse

At a hearing last week, activists persuaded the commission that the porcupines were being chased, molested and "worried" for human amusement.

—Kelli Anderson

molestation

ˌmō-ˌle-ˈstā-shən 

ˌmä-

-lə-

noun

molester

mə-ˈle-stər 

noun

Examples of molest in a Sentence

He was sent to jail for molesting children.

It was illegal to molest, capture, or kill any of the animals in the park.

Recent Examples on the Web

Cascante pulled out a handgun, then drove the girl around the city and molested her, deputies said. —Daniella Segura, Sacbee.com, 22 Aug. 2025

Guidepost’s report detailed a July 2010 incident in which Hunt, who was SBC president between 2009-2010 and the longtime pastor at Atlanta area megachurch First Baptist Church (FBC) Woodstock, allegedly molested a woman more than 20 years his junior. —Liam Adams, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025

Our character has not been molested by somebody in the family or a friend of the family. —EW.com, 19 Aug. 2025

Meanwhile, Akim Marc Desire, a Haitian national, was arrested after allegedly molesting a 10-year-old neighbor. —Heather Hunter, The Washington Examiner, 19 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French molester, from Latin molestare, from molestus burdensome, annoying; akin to Latin moles mass

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for molest

• abreast
• accessed
• addressed
• appressed
• armrest
• arrest
• assessed
• attest
• backrest
• behest
• bequest
• caressed

Kids Definition

molest

verb

mo·​lest mə-ˈləst 

1

: to injure or disturb by interfering : annoy

2

: to make unwelcome sexual advances to

especially : to force physical sexual contact on

molestation

ˌmōl-ˌes-ˈtā-shən 

ˌmōl-əs-

ˌmäl-ˌes-

noun

molester

mə-ˈles-tər 

noun

Legal Definition

molest

transitive verb

mo·​lest mə-ˈlest 

1

: to annoy, disturb, or persecute especially with hostile intent or injurious effect

2

: to make annoying sexual advances to

specifically : to force physical and usually sexual contact on (as a child)

molestation

ˌmō-ˌles-ˈtā-shən, ˌmä-, -ləs- 

noun

molester noun