To bother, harass, or annoy someone; also used for sexual abuse or inappropriate touching.
From Latin 'molestare' (to trouble, annoy), from 'molestus' (troublesome, burdensome). The word originally just meant 'to pester' or 'to bother.'
This word's meaning has shifted dangerously—it used to just mean annoying someone, but now it's almost exclusively associated with sexual abuse, which is a grim example of how language reflects societal concerns.
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