different between distress vs molest

distress

English

Etymology

The verb is from Middle English distressen, from Old French destrecier (to restrain, constrain, put in straits, afflict, distress); compare French détresse. Ultimately from Medieval Latin as if *districtiare, an assumed frequentative form of Latin distringere (to pull asunder, stretch out), from dis- (apart) + stringere (to draw tight, strain).

The noun is from Middle English distresse, from Old French destrece, ultimately also from Latin distringere.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /d??st??s/
  • Rhymes: -?s

Noun

distress (countable and uncountable, plural distresses)

  1. (Cause of) discomfort.
    • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:distress.
  2. Serious danger.
    • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:distress.
  3. (medicine) An aversive state of stress to which a person cannot fully adapt.
  4. (law) A seizing of property without legal process to force payment of a debt.
  5. (law) The thing taken by distraining; that which is seized to procure satisfaction.
    • If he were not paid, he would straight go and take a distress of goods and cattle.
    • The distress thus taken must be proportioned to the thing distrained for.

Derived terms

  • distress signal

Antonyms

  • (maladaptive stress): eustress

Related terms

  • distrain
  • district

Translations

Verb

distress (third-person singular simple present distresses, present participle distressing, simple past and past participle distressed)

  1. To cause strain or anxiety to someone.
    Synonyms: anguish, harrow, trouble, vex, torment, tantalize, tantalise, martyr
  2. (law) To retain someone’s property against the payment of a debt; to distrain.
    Synonym: distrain
  3. To treat a new object to give it an appearance of age.
    Synonyms: age, antique, patinate

Translations

Further reading

  • distress in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
  • distress in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
  • distress at OneLook Dictionary Search

Anagrams

  • disserts

distress From the web:

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molest

English

Etymology

From Middle English molesten, from Old French molester, from Latin molest? (to trouble, annoy, molest), from molestus (troublesome), from moles (a burden, difficulty, labor, trouble); see mole.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /m??l?st/

Verb

molest (third-person singular simple present molests, present participle molesting, simple past and past participle molested)

  1. To annoy intentionally.
  2. To disturb or tamper with.
    • 1594, Richard Hooker, Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie
      They have molested the church with needless opposition.
  3. To sexually assault or sexually harass (a minor).

Derived terms

  • molester
  • molestful

Related terms

  • molestation

Translations

Further reading

  • molest in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
  • molest in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Anagrams

  • motels

Indonesian

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from Dutch molest.

Noun

molest

  1. (law) damage from war.

Further reading

  • “molest” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia (KBBI) Daring, Jakarta: Badan Pengembangan dan Pembinaan Bahasa, Kementerian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan Republik Indonesia, 2016.

molest From the web:

  • what molested mean
  • what molestation
  • what molestation order
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