molest

verb

mo·​lest mə-ˈlest How to pronounce molest (audio)
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 noun
molester 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 Prosecutors said Zakrzewski molested 16 of the boys and showed pornography to the 17th. Jeremy Childs, Los Angeles Times, 18 Nov. 2023 Elsewhere in the interview, Jeezy spoke about being molested during his childhood by a babysitter. Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 8 Nov. 2023 In one case, the suit states a 15-year-old girl was removed from her home by DCS after being raped and molested by her stepfather. Sarah Nelson, The Indianapolis Star, 17 Aug. 2023 The misdemeanors include selling alcohol to minors and annoying or molesting a child younger than 18. Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2023 The priest hadn’t technically molested anyone and thus didn’t violate the Orange diocese’s zero-tolerance policy. Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 18 Oct. 2023 Police said the boys — who were ages 7, 8 and 11 at the time — were molested between July and December of last year, with each incident occurring at the victims’ homes. City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Oct. 2023 In June, Robert Hadden, a longtime former OB-GYN at Columbia University in New York, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for molesting patients over decades. Gretchen Morgenson, NBC News, 11 Oct. 2023 Many victims were molested multiple times, per the complaint. Christina Coulter, Fox News, 8 Oct. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'molest.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of molest was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near molest

Cite this Entry

“Molest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/molest. Accessed 30 Nov. 2023.

Kids Definition

molest

verb
mo·​lest mə-ˈləst How to pronounce molest (audio)
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 How to pronounce molest (audio)
ˌmōl-əs-
ˌmäl-ˌes-
noun
molester noun

Legal Definition

molest

transitive verb
mo·​lest mə-ˈlest How to pronounce molest (audio)
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)
molester noun

More from Merriam-Webster on molest

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