molest
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English
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.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /məˈlɛst/
Audio (Southern England): (file)
- Rhymes: -ɛst
Verb
molest (third-person singular simple present molests, present participle molesting, simple past and past participle molested)
- To sexually assault or sexually harass.
- To annoy, trouble, or afflict.
- 1594–1597, Richard Hooker, edited by J[ohn] S[penser], Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, , London: Will Stansby , published 1611, →OCLC, (please specify the page):
- They have molested the church with needless opposition.
- 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:
- A person must not delay, obstruct, hinder or molest an authorized officer who is performing a function under this Regulation.
- (obsolete) To disturb or tamper with.
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations
to annoy intentionally
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to abuse
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to disturb or tamper with
Further reading
- “molest”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
- “molest”, in The Century Dictionary , New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
Anagrams
Indonesian
Etymology
Unadapted borrowing from Dutch molest.
Noun
molest
Further reading
- “molest” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.