molest
/məˈlɛst/ verb
Forms molests molesting molested
- verb To sexually assault or sexually harass.
- verb (dated) To annoy, trouble, or afflict.
- verb (dated) To disturb or tamper with.
Synonyms
come on to diddle[black humor|humorous]]> touch bother disturb aggravate annoy nettle rankle ruffle sting burn someone's ass antagonize disgruntle botherate bug get grate burn up bedevil harass hassle harry chivy chivvy chevy chevvy beset plague provoke
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.
Webster’s 1913
- verb To trouble; to disturb; to render uneasy; to interfere with; to vex. They have molested the church with needless opposition. Hooker.
- noun Molestation. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Etymology [F. molester, L. molestare, fr. molestus troublesome, fr. moles a heavy mass, load, burden. See 3d Mole.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “molest”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details