transitive verb

• 1Assault or abuse (a person, especially a woman or child) sexually.

  ‘he was charged with molesting and taking obscene photographs of a ten-year-old boy’

  More example sentences

  • ‘We know he abused and sexually molested children.’
  • ‘The singer has now been formally charged with sexually molesting a child after giving him alcohol.’
  • ‘A private hire driver who sexually molested a teenage girl in his cab has been jailed for three years.’
  • ‘My flat-out belief, based on experience and the research is that every man who molests a child or sexually assaults an adult woman should be sent to prison, no question about it.’
  • ‘In a society where women are sexually molested on a regular basis, some norms for protection become inevitable.’
  • ‘Before long, he was imprisoned on false charges of molesting a child.’
  • ‘I don't think it takes a psychologist to know that a man who molests children or rapes women is not well.’
  • ‘The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children say one in five girls and one in 10 boys are sexually molested.’
  • ‘Your child will need medical care if he has been sexually molested or physically injured.’
  • ‘Their research revealed that he had been convicted in Grahamstown nine years earlier on six counts of sexually molesting young boys.’
  • ‘He had lost his job after being accused of sexually molesting a three-year-old boy.’
  • ‘The victim then told how the attacker molested her while asking her questions.’
  • ‘Her mother's lover tries to molest her, her cousin tries to seduce her, and she briefly marries an older man who virtually imprisons her out of jealousy.’
  • ‘The man went on to explain that he had been molesting children, boys and girls, of all ages.’
  • ‘A doctor accused of molesting a patient walked free from court after it emerged she had a history of making sex allegations.’
  • ‘He was convicted of molesting his girlfriend's daughters.’
  • ‘I know you didn't molest him - we'll plead innocent to that - but you did kidnap him.’
  • ‘Jordan was paid a reputed $20 million pay-off in 1994 after claiming the singer molested him.’
  • ‘We know that he was molesting him for almost a year at that point.’

  Synonyms

  abuse, sexually abuse, assault, sexually assault, interfere with, rape, violate, attack, hurt, harm, injure

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• 2dated Pester or harass (someone) in an aggressive or persistent manner.

  ‘the crowd was shouting abuse and molesting the two police officers’

  More example sentences

  • ‘I hereby apply to have the said demand set aside and to stop the Defendant and their agent and solicitor from harassing and molesting me.’
  • ‘If anyone should try to molest him or thieve from him, the dogs were there on hand to attack them.’
  • ‘The army was warned not to molest the citizens in any manner, and the commanders were cautioned exercise maximum vigilance to this end.’
  • ‘In this respect I cannot but feel sorry for anyone who hates or molests any person purely on account of nationality.’
  • ‘Hoodlums also come at night to loot and molest the few people who have the courage to stay.’
  • ‘He said under parliamentary law, it was a breach of privilege and contempt of either House to obstruct, insult or molest a member while in the execution of his duties.’
  • ‘Above 125th Street in Harlem, people stare but no one molests you.’
  • ‘But he was not molested by either Vichy or the Gestapo.’
  • ‘How dare you molest this young lady with your obscene and suggestive insinuations?’

  Synonyms

  harass, harry, pester, beset, persecute, torment, plague

  View synonyms