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
The records contain nearly 200 pages, including the testimony of two girls who were molested by Epstein, the New York financier who abused hundreds of underage girls at his Palm Beach mansion between 1996 and 2008.
—Julie K. Brown, Miami Herald, 2 July 2024
By Bay City News Salinas officers arrested two people earlier this week for allegedly molesting a minor for years, according to police.
—Bay City News Service, The Mercury News, 15 June 2024
She was also being molested under the guise of treatment, like hundreds of young gymnasts over the years, by Nassar.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 14 June 2024
Through security-camera footage, Michael discovers that Marlon was molested by a closeted politician and murdered by racist police detectives behind a nightclub.
—Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 31 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for molest 
Julie K. Brown, Miami Herald, 2 July 2024
By Bay City News Salinas officers arrested two people earlier this week for allegedly molesting a minor for years, according to police.
—Bay City News Service, The Mercury News, 15 June 2024
She was also being molested under the guise of treatment, like hundreds of young gymnasts over the years, by Nassar.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 14 June 2024
Through security-camera footage, Michael discovers that Marlon was molested by a closeted politician and murdered by racist police detectives behind a nightclub.
—Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 31 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for molest
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.
Dictionary Entries Near molest
Cite this Entry
“Molest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/molest. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
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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