molest
verb/məˈlɛst/
Etymology 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.
1
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 2022:
2
Dated To 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):
- 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 2022:
1 more example
- A 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 B555:
3
Dated To disturb or tamper with.
- Derived terms
- molestability, molestable, molestache, molestee, molester, molestful, unmolested, unmolesting
- Related terms
- molestation