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
Hannah Tubbs is a transgender California inmate who, at 17 years old, was convicted of molesting a young girl in a Denny's bathroom in 2017.
—Audrey Conklin, Fox News, 9 Jan. 2025
But there was another reason for the split: Yarrow was convicted in 1970 of molesting a 14-year-old girl who had come to his dressing room seeking an autograph.
—Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 7 Jan. 2025
Peter Yarrow, a major figure of the Sixties folk revival with Peter, Paul and Mary who was convicted of molesting a 14-year-old girl and later received a presidential pardon, died today, The New York Times reports.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 7 Jan. 2025
Ayala was arrested and booked into the Central Detention Center on charges of stalking and annoying/molesting a minor, deputies said.
—Paloma Chavez, Sacramento Bee, 7 Jan. 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.
Audrey Conklin, Fox News, 9 Jan. 2025
But there was another reason for the split: Yarrow was convicted in 1970 of molesting a 14-year-old girl who had come to his dressing room seeking an autograph.
—Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 7 Jan. 2025
Peter Yarrow, a major figure of the Sixties folk revival with Peter, Paul and Mary who was convicted of molesting a 14-year-old girl and later received a presidential pardon, died today, The New York Times reports.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 7 Jan. 2025
Ayala was arrested and booked into the Central Detention Center on charges of stalking and annoying/molesting a minor, deputies said.
—Paloma Chavez, Sacramento Bee, 7 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for molest
Dictionary Entries Near molest
Cite this Entry
“Molest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/molest. Accessed 18 Jan. 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