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to molest

to molest

162 8.7
Touch or try to touch someone in a sexual way without their permission
  • verb
  • /məˈlɛst/
  • Offensive
: abusar sexualmente (de)
  • When I was 12, my dad molested me.
  • sexually molest
  • molest children
  • molest students

He said the whole childhood my father molested me, I want him dead.

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Examples

  • I was molested.

  • Also, he sexually molests his male victims.

  • So she moved in with him only to find out that he started to molest her three daughters.

  • I think that they were probably involved in molesting young girls.

  • During that time, the teacher molested a large number of male students.

    Academic text (1992)
  • I was molested at five years old by a total stranger.

  • And you were molested by a priest.

  • I'm sure that in the future you will not be molested again.

  • I will never regret having prosecuted people who molested children, people who raped women, people who murdered other individuals.

  • He was too afraid to speak out after being molested by someone he trusted.

Synonyms

to assault
vsto molest
  • Offensive
100 8.1

To force someone to have sex against their will

includes nonviolent harassment and indecent advances rather than only force
to grope
vsto molest
  • Offensive
45 7.4

To touch someone in a sexual way without their permission

is a broader term covering harassment and other sexual advances

Antonyms

∞ 1.0

To keep someone or something safe from harm

784 1.0

Polite actions or words that show you value someone

How Serious

to rape
  • Offensive
880 5.3
to molest
  • Offensive
162 8.7
to grope
  • Offensive
45 7.4

Surface Forms

molest infinitive
molested past
molested past participle
molesting present participle
molests third person singular

Etymology

Molest comes from the Latin word molestus, meaning 'troublesome' or 'annoying'. Later, this idea of making someone very uncomfortable was used for a serious kind of harm with unwanted sexual touching, so to molest can mean to harass someone sexually.