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
Travis James Mullis, 37, is set to be executed Tuesday for killing his 3-month-old son, who was molested, stomped to death and abandoned at Galveston’s Seawall, a popular tourist destination just south of Houston, on Jan. 29, 2008.
—Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY, 24 Sep. 2024
Oakland freeway road rage hate crime Los Angeles man charged with driving to East Bay to molest girl 14 times
Casey Sully, San Rafael High School athletic director and varsity head football coach, declined comment.
—Keri Brenner, The Mercury News, 5 Sep. 2024
In January 2018, Schaech opened up about another life-changing instance, writing for PEOPLE about how director Franco Zeffirelli allegedly molested him when the actor was 22.
—Dana Rose Falcone, Peoplemag, 1 Sep. 2024
The docu-series is made from a treasure trove of home videos taken by actress Mia Farrow, including one in which her daughter Dylan accuses the legendary director Woody Allen of molesting her—a charge Allen has repeatedly denied.
—Olivia B. Waxman, TIME, 11 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for molest 
Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY, 24 Sep. 2024
Oakland freeway road rage hate crime Los Angeles man charged with driving to East Bay to molest girl 14 times
Casey Sully, San Rafael High School athletic director and varsity head football coach, declined comment.
—Keri Brenner, The Mercury News, 5 Sep. 2024
In January 2018, Schaech opened up about another life-changing instance, writing for PEOPLE about how director Franco Zeffirelli allegedly molested him when the actor was 22.
—Dana Rose Falcone, Peoplemag, 1 Sep. 2024
The docu-series is made from a treasure trove of home videos taken by actress Mia Farrow, including one in which her daughter Dylan accuses the legendary director Woody Allen of molesting her—a charge Allen has repeatedly denied.
—Olivia B. Waxman, TIME, 11 Sep. 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 2 Oct. 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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