Molest

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /məˈlɛst/

Definitions

1. To interfere with or trouble someone in a disruptive way ; to sexually assault a person, typically a child, by unwanted physical contact
2. To annoy or interrupt someone persistently ; to commit an act of sexual abuse against an individual
3. To irritate or cause distress through unwelcome actions ; to engage in inappropriate sexual behavior toward another, often a minor

Etymology: The verb "molest" carries a heavier meaning today than its roots suggest. Its Latin ancestor "molestus" meant simply "troublesome" or "annoying", and it grew from "moles", a word for a burden, a mass, or a heavy labour. That same "moles" is the source of "mole" in the sense of a massive structure, the kind of weight that gets in the way, which is how the idea of trouble and obstruction entered the family. The word passed through Old French "molester" into Middle English as "molesten", and for centuries it kept this broad sense of harassing, pestering, or disturbing someone. Its earliest English uses were about annoying or hindering people in general, and the sense of unwelcome sexual contact developed much later, narrowing the old idea of troubling someone into one of the most serious harms a person can inflict.

Synonyms: abuse, harass

Antonyms: protect, defend