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
Detectives interviewed the girl and her mother, who identified Jason Bradley Prater, 49, as the man who had molested her, according to a news release from the Sheriff’s Office.
—Marcus D. Smith, Sacramento Bee, 19 May 2024
Munoz was convicted of molesting a 12-year-old girl and a 2-year-old girl sometime between 1988 and 1992, and attempted to assault three other victims, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
—City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for molest 
Marcus D. Smith, Sacramento Bee, 19 May 2024
Munoz was convicted of molesting a 12-year-old girl and a 2-year-old girl sometime between 1988 and 1992, and attempted to assault three other victims, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
—City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 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 29 May. 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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