Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • transitive verb To disturb, interfere with, or annoy.
  • transitive verb To subject (a child) to sexual contact.
  • transitive verb To subject (an adult) to unwanted sexual contact.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To trouble; disturb; harass; vex; meddle with injuriously.
  • Synonyms Annoy, Plague, etc. (see tease), incommode, discommode, inconvenience.
  • noun Trouble.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun obsolete Molestation.
  • transitive verb To trouble; to disturb; to render uneasy; to interfere with; to vex.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb To physically abuse, (occasionally also means sexually especially regarding a minor )
  • verb To annoy intentionally
  • verb To disturb or tamper with.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb harass or assault sexually; make indecent advances to
  • verb annoy continually or chronically

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English molesten, from Old French molester, from Latin molestāre, from molestus, troublesome.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English molesten, from Old French molester, from Latin molestare ("to trouble, annoy, molest"), from molestus ("troublesome"), from moles ("a burden, difficulty, labor, trouble"); see mole.

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Examples

  • Above are the only reasons I thought you being pejorative, LMAO ... yes the only reason I have the dictionary defintion of molest is becasue I had to look up "pejorative" and I miss you too Harlan.

    Okay, I guess I owe Tracey an apology... Tyler 2009

  • I never heard the word molest or anything like that.

    CNN Transcript Jul 4, 2006 2006

  • In one incident, after I taught him the definition of 'molest', my colleague asked our supervisor not to molest him if his experiments didn't go well.

    Teaching Dirty Slang to Colleagues Candid Engineer 2008

  • In one incident, after I taught him the definition of 'molest', my colleague asked our supervisor not to molest him if his experiments didn't go well.

    Archive 2008-10-01 Candid Engineer 2008

  • Are we planning on occupying it forever, just to make sure that we "molest" the hell out of bin Laden when he crosses the border next time?

    Josh Mull: What's worse: Steele's Afghanistan comments or the reaction? 2010

  • So I don ` t know what verb you use, but "molest" doesn ` t seem to fit for me.

    CNN Transcript Dec 21, 2006 2006

  • When the child is ready to disclose this kind of molest, the world responds fast, with police, interviews and arrests.

    Firedoglake » Pedophiles — Things You Ought To Know 2006

  • But I question the analyst ` s use of the word "molest," because according to the affidavit, she came back after drinking and went to bed.

    CNN Transcript Dec 21, 2006 2006

  • I never heard the word "molest" or anything like that, just that he hurt her.

    CNN Transcript Apr 11, 2005 2005

  • Their practical system of treating "treasure trove," as I saw when serving with my regiment in Gujarßt (Guzerat), is at once to imprison and "molest" the finder, in order to make sure that he has not hidden any part of his find.

    Arabian nights. English Anonymous 1855

Comments

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  • To bother.

    January 12, 2007

  • Just means "bother" in Spanish, no sexual component.

    July 4, 2007

  • Ditto: to bother.

    December 16, 2008