What does "Molester" "Molest" mean in english?

It is pretty much only used to indicate someone has s3xually assaulted someone, usually a child.  Molest meaning to annoy is not often used in real speech anymore. Molestar is a false cognate. 

It is true that in Romance languages that are closer to Latin it maintains a meaning of “nuisance” o “annoy”. But generally in English we use it exclusively to describe the act of sexually interfering with someone/something whom cannot give consent to the action.

Oh dear, I hope you aren’t a native spanish speaker and meant to say “bother”…

While it generally has a sexual connotation these days, you may still hear the form “unmolested” meaning unharmed.

Sexual harassment/assault

Molest means rape. Molester means rapist. It's been a very long time since "molest" meant "bother" in everyday speaking. In formal and in legal speech, words like "unmolested" exist and most will be able to figure out what you mean. But I would avoid it unless you're in a very formal or legal setting, which I assume you're not.

Thanks to everyone in the comments

The meaning has narrowed over time. "To molest" used to mean to bother or annoy. It now has taken on the specific meanings described in other comments below.

I was expecting someone to post this https://youtu.be/HjJBZoi2k5Y?si=tuUlJZ21BkJO2k3X

Do you not have access to a dictionary? Molest: To interfere or meddle with (a person, animal, etc.) injuriously or with hostile intent; to pester or harass, esp. in an aggressive or persistent manner. Molester: A person who harasses, attacks, or abuses someone (esp. a woman or child) sexually.

NEVER use this word around someone who is illiterate, except to refer euphemistically to sexual assault. The proper meaning of the word is almost entirely dormant, particularly among the rabble.

OP, I recommend using this website as a reputable source for USA English. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/molester

It TECHNICALLY means to bother someone, but the way we actually use it, it almost always means rape or similar crimes. 😬

We NEVER use it to mean “annoying.” It pretty much exclusively refers to sexual abuse or assault, primarily SA of children. I strongly recommend never using this word unless you are talking about “child molestation.” Other meanings of the word “molest” have fallen out of favor/usage because the SA meaning is so odious that people avoid using the word “molest” at all. Those other meanings are practically archaic in everyday English. If you say “molest” when you mean “to annoy,” people are automatically going to think you’re talking about CSA, and they will be taken aback, thinking that you are discussing a sex crime. It is probably used to mean “bother” or “interfere with” sometimes in legal jargon and some academic writing, but I would not recommend a non-native speaker attempt using it unless they’ve checked with someone else in their field, ideally a native or fluent English speaker, to ensure the correct meaning is coming across.

OP do you speak Spanish per chance ? When I started practicing Spanish I was confused about the word in Spanish. Other peoples responses here are generally correct, in Spanish it means to upset or to bother, usually. In English, those who responded I agree with.

Please don’t molest the animals.

I've also heard it in a context similar to this:" I was trying to make my way out of the market, but was molested by an enthusiastic vendor who insisted I look at his wares." Simply put, "molest" generally refers to less invasive intrusion/attack on a person than does "rape".

This is indeed a notorious false friend. The original meaning, now lost in English, derives from Latin *molestus*. The *Ecce Romani* series of Latin textbooks, for middle-to-high-school students, tells the story of a fictional upper-class Roman family. One of the little kids is named Sextus. And since he’s a pest, he’s frequently called “Sextus molestus.” However, the older sense survives in “unmolested” (much like “toilet” and “assist/attend” are also false friends, but “toiletries” or “attendants” are not). Unmolested still means not being bothered or pestered by anyone.

Molester usually refers to a person who sexually assaults a child/children. Molest technically can mean "to bother", but that is super rare and will be taken to mean sexual assault of a child.

To molest is to engage in unwanted contact of any kind. In modern English, this usually means sexual contact, but it can also mean violence or verbal harassment.

Look up the names Jeffrey Epstein, Bill Cosby and Donald Trump.

In the most general sense, it just means violating other people in a physical way. That can mean anything from being annoying, to assaulting someone, to rape. Usually, it's most commonly used for those last 2 in particular, though using molest to mean attack/ assault isn't super common in the US. 

Sexually assault. Especially used for people who rape children.