Meaning & use
molested
Last updated
“molested” is a form of “molest”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitiveformallegal
Past tense and past participle of molest: to have sexually abused or sexually harassed a person, particularly a child.
Grammar: Takes an object, often used in the passive: she was molested.
Patterns
- be molested
- molest someone
The court heard how the man had molested children.
He was convicted of having molested a student.
Reports said the child had been molested by a stranger.
verbtransitiveold-fashionedrare
Past tense and past participle of molest: to have bothered or attacked someone in a way that disturbed or hurt them.
Grammar: Takes an object; rare in this older sense.
Patterns
- molest someone
The old notice warned that dogs had molested the sheep.
Travelers complained of being molested by thieves.
Word forms
| present tense | molest |
|---|---|
| third person singular | molests |
| -ing form | molesting |
Common combinations
- sexually molested
- The report said the girl was sexually molested.
- allegedly molested
- The coach allegedly molested players.
- be molested by
- She was molested by a relative.
- accused of having molested
- He was accused of having molested a minor.
Synonyms and how they differ
- abused
- Abused is broader and can mean physical or emotional harm, whereas molested usually implies sexual contact.
- assaulted
- Assaulted means attacked physically and does not by itself imply a sexual act.
- harassed
- Harassed usually means repeated unwanted behavior, often without touching.
Opposites
Word family
- molester noun
- a person who molests others
- molestation noun
- the act of molesting
- molest verb
- to abuse or harass
Commonly confused: molested or modest?
molested vs modest
Modest means humble or small in size and is unrelated in meaning, though the spellings look close.
Practice
Choose the correct form: The man was found guilty of having ___ a child.
Choose one answer.
After having, the past participle molested is required. Molesting and molests are the wrong form.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “molested”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.