molested; molesting; molests
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
ShakespeareBees 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
P. G. WodehouseAt a hearing last week, activists persuaded the commission that the porcupines were being chased, molested and "worried" for human amusement.—Kelli Anderson
Kelli AndersonExamples 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 allege that Taylor molested the victim on an ongoing basis from September 2004 to September 2005, when Taylor was 29-30 years old.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 19 Apr. 2025
Court records allege Romero molested a preteen girl between 2018 to 2019.
—Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 10 Apr. 2025
In one early episode, Dr. Santos has a strong, personal reaction to a patient whose wife has accused him of molesting their daughter.
—Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 10 Apr. 2025
O'Neal also revealed that she was later molested by a drug dealer, who was a member of Ryan's inner circle.
—Ashley Hume, Fox News, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for molest
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Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 19 Apr. 2025
Court records allege Romero molested a preteen girl between 2018 to 2019.
—Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 10 Apr. 2025
In one early episode, Dr. Santos has a strong, personal reaction to a patient whose wife has accused him of molesting their daughter.
—Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 10 Apr. 2025
O'Neal also revealed that she was later molested by a drug dealer, who was a member of Ryan's inner circle.
—Ashley Hume, Fox News, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for molest
Cite this Entry
“Molest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/molest. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
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)
molester
noun
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