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
Jail records show Hernandez faces two counts of indecent exposure in a public place, two counts disorderly conduct to solicit for lewd acts and one count of annoying or molesting a child.
—Rosalio Ahumada, Sacramento Bee, 12 Feb. 2025
The Dancing with the Stars alum, 40, recalled how she and her step-sister were molested by a family friend growing up during an appearance on the latest episode of the Oldish podcast.
—Liza Esquibias, People.com, 20 Jan. 2025
When the brothers were tried a second time, there were no TV cameras in the courtroom, and the judge excluded much of the evidence about the claims that Jose Menendez, Lyle and Erik’s father, had molested his sons.
—Orlando Mayorquín, New York Times, 25 Nov. 2024
The emails suggest the teams played a significant role in managing the fallout from the abuse allegations, including helping to remove names from the list of clergy credibly accused of molesting children—actions the teams have denied.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for molest
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Rosalio Ahumada, Sacramento Bee, 12 Feb. 2025
The Dancing with the Stars alum, 40, recalled how she and her step-sister were molested by a family friend growing up during an appearance on the latest episode of the Oldish podcast.
—Liza Esquibias, People.com, 20 Jan. 2025
When the brothers were tried a second time, there were no TV cameras in the courtroom, and the judge excluded much of the evidence about the claims that Jose Menendez, Lyle and Erik’s father, had molested his sons.
—Orlando Mayorquín, New York Times, 25 Nov. 2024
The emails suggest the teams played a significant role in managing the fallout from the abuse allegations, including helping to remove names from the list of clergy credibly accused of molesting children—actions the teams have denied.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 4 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 5 Mar. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share