Meanings
present singular third person molests · participle present molesting · participle past molested · past molested
- To sexually assault or sexually harass.
At last he simmered down, choked out his explanations. And the news was indeed enormous. That afternoon, just three hours earlier, his younger sister, Gina, had been molested, debauched, as she crossed a children's playground in the park.
1976 June 7, Nik Cohn, “Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night”, in New York, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 29 Dec 20221 more example
I knew you wasn't normal ever since the age of nine / I, heard you were molested when you hit the age of five / So, in a sense I sensed that all your innocence had died / You, swallowing all of your pride, won't, let anybody inside / As you cry me a thousand lakes on my shoulder blade, I say / Everything's gonna be okay / I'ma hold tight 'til I see the next day with you / Stay with you, play with you, pray with you and pray to you
2018, “Taboo”, in Ta13oo (hip-hop), performed by Denzel Curry, United StatesSynonyms: come on to, diddle[black humor|humorous]]>, touch
- datedTo annoy, trouble, or afflict.
They have molested the church with needless opposition.
[1594], Richard Hooker, edited by J[ohn] S[penser], Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, […], London: […] Iohn Windet, […], →OCLC, (please specify the page)2 more examples
It was a true sanctuary. Once inside, the Faces were unreachable. Nothing could molest them. They were no longer the oppressed, wretched teen menials who must take orders, toe the line. Here they took command, they reigned.
1976 June 7, Nik Cohn, “Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night”, in New York, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 29 Dec 2022A person must not delay, obstruct, hinder or molest an authorized officer who is performing a function under this Regulation.
2020, Chief Executive in Council, “Prevention and Control of Disease (Prohibition on Group Gathering) Regulation”, in Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Gazette, Section 13(1), page B555Synonyms: bother, disturb, aggravate, annoy, nettle, rankle, ruffle, sting
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo sexually assault or sexually harass.
verbTo annoy, trouble, or afflict.
verbTo disturb or tamper with.
More synonyms by meaning
verbannoy continually or chronically
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinmolestō“to trouble, annoy, molest”
- Old Frenchmolester
- Middle Englishmolesten
- Englishmolest
From Middle English molesten, from Old French molester, from Latin molestō (“to trouble, annoy, molest”), from molestus (“troublesome”), from moles (“a burden, difficulty, labor, trouble”); see mole.
More words from Middle English, Old French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek ὀχλέω
- ὀχλέω (okhléō)to annoy intentionally
Bulgarian задявам, безпокоя
- задявам (zadjavam)to annoy intentionally
- безпокоя (bezpokoja)to disturb or tamper with
Catalan assetjar
- assetjarto abuse
Danish antaste
- antasteto abuse
Finnish kiusata, vaivata
- kiusatato annoy intentionally
- vaivatato annoy intentionally
- rasittaato annoy intentionally
- häiritäto annoy intentionally
- ärsyttääto annoy intentionally
- kiusatato abuse
- ahdistellato abuse
- käyttää hyväksito abuse
- hyväksikäyttääto abuse
- häiritäto disturb or tamper with
French embêter, violer
- embêterto annoy intentionally
- violerto abuse
- abuserto abuse
German belästigen
- belästigento annoy intentionally
Greek κακοποιώ, ασελγώ
- κακοποιώ (kakopoió)to abuse
- ασελγώ (aselgó)to abuse
Irish cuir isteach ar
- cuir isteach arto annoy intentionally
Māori turatura, mui
- turaturato annoy intentionally
- muito annoy intentionally
- whakateteto annoy intentionally
- tūkinoto abuse
- takakinoto abuse
- whakakinoto abuse
- whakakinokinoto abuse
- turaturato abuse
Norwegian Bokmål antaste
- antasteto abuse
Persian آزار دادن
- آزار دادن (âzâr dâdan)to annoy intentionally
Polish molestować, naprzykrzać się
- molestowaćto annoy intentionally
- naprzykrzać sięto annoy intentionally
- molestowaćto abuse
- molestowaćto disturb or tamper with
Portuguese molestar, molestar
- molestarto annoy intentionally
- molestarto abuse
Romanian molesta, necăji
- molestato annoy intentionally
- necăjito annoy intentionally
Russian досажда́ть, совращать
- досажда́ть (dosaždátʹ)to annoy intentionally
- совращать (sovraščatʹ)to abuse
- растлевать (rastlevatʹ)to abuse
Spanish abusar sexualmente, molestar sexualmente
- abusar sexualmenteTo sexually assault or sexually harass
- molestar sexualmenteTo sexually assault or sexually harass
- acosar sexualmenteTo sexually assault or sexually harass
- apalpar indebidamenteTo sexually assault or sexually harass
- molestarto annoy intentionally
- acosarto abuse
Swedish störa, antasta
- störato annoy intentionally
- antastato abuse
- störato disturb or tamper with
- ofredato disturb or tamper with
Ukrainian чіплятися, докучати
- чіплятися (čipljatysja)to annoy intentionally
- докучати (dokučaty)to annoy intentionally
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with molest
Cite this entry
molest. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/molest
“molest.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/molest. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “molest,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/molest.
Source: molest on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.