LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
adjectivefirst/second-declension adjective

molestus

molestus (feminine molesta, neuter molestum, comparative molestior, superlative molestissimus)
Classical[mɔˈɫɛs.tʊs]Ecclesiastical[moˈlɛs.tus]
Mille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. adjectivetroublesome, irksome, grievous, annoying, tiresome
    propter molestissimās occupātiōnēs meās, quibus sī mē relaxārō (nam ut plānē exsolvam nōn postulō), tē ipsum, quī multōs annōs nihil aliud commentāris, docēbō profectō quid sit hūmāniter vīvere.Due to my most troublesome duties which if I slacken (for to be loose of them entirely is more than I can ask), then, no question about it, I shall teach you the art of civilized living, to which you have been giving your undivided attention for years!62 BCE – 43 BCE, Cicero, Epistulae ad familiares

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

quī alterī gravis est nec eum in pāce esse sinit.
molestus -a -um — in Mille Verba, Convīvium

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Succensere · Irasci · Indignari · Stomachari

Succensere and ægre, graviter, moleste, difficiliter ferre, to take any thing ill, denote a silent, irasci, indignari, and stomachari, a loud displeasure; ira, anger, has the character of a passion, inasmuch as it thirsts after vengeance; indignatio, indignation, that of an awakened or excited moral feeling, inasmuch as it expresses with energy its disapprobation or contempt; stomachatio, a fit of passion, that of a choleric temperament, inasmuch as it suffers the bile to overflow, and gives vent to its irritability by blustering and brawling. The iratus makes his appearance as an enemy, and excites fear; the indignabundus, as a judge, and inspires awe; the stomachans, as a hypochondriac, and is a subject for comedy. (v. 119.)

Declension

singular
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativemolestusmolestamolestum
genitivemolestīmolestaemolestī
dativemolestōmolestaemolestō
accusativemolestummolestammolestum
ablativemolestōmolestāmolestō
vocativemolestemolestamolestum
plural
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativemolestīmolestaemolesta
genitivemolestōrummolestārummolestōrum
dativemolestīsmolestīsmolestīs
accusativemolestōsmolestāsmolesta
ablativemolestīsmolestīsmolestīs
vocativemolestīmolestaemolesta

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

aegre, graviter, moleste, indigne ferre aliquid
to be discontented, vexed at a thing; to chafe.
aegre, graviter, moleste fero aliquid (or with Acc. c. Inf. or quod)
I am pained, vexed, sorry.

mŏlestus, a, um, adj. moles,
I. troublesome, irksome, grievous, annoying (class.; cf. importunus): abscede hinc, molestus ne sis! Plaut. As. 2, 4, 63: provincia, Cic. Mur. 8, 18: operosus ac molestus labor, id. N. D. 2, 23, 39: alicui odiosum et molestum esse, id. Sen. 14, 47: tu autem, nisi molestum est, paulisper exsurge, if it will not incommode you, id. Clu. 60, 168: nihil erit his laboriosius molestiusque provinciae? id. Leg. 3, 8, 19: arrogantia ingenii atque eloquentiae est multo molestissima, id. Div. in Caecil. 11, 36: tunica, a dress of pitch, in which a malefactor was burned (tunicam alimentis ignium et illitam et intextam, Sen. Ep. 14, 5), Juv. 8, 235; Mart. 10, 25, 5.—
B. In partic., of speech, labored, affected: simplex in agendo veritas non molesta, Cic. Brut. 30, 116: verba, Ov. A. A. 1, 464: pronuntiatio gesticulationibus, Quint. 11, 3, 183: dialectos, Suet. Tib. 56.—
II. Transf.
A. That is done with difficulty, difficult (post-class.): molesta separatio, Dig. 9, 2, 27, § 14.—*
B. Dangerous, injurious: otium, Catulle, tibi molestum est, Cat. 51, 12.—Hence, adv.: mŏlestē.
1. With trouble or difficulty (class.): moleste fero, I take it ill, it vexes, annoys me, Cic. Att. 13, 22, 4: molestissime fero, quod, etc., id. Fam. 3, 6, 5: molestius ferre, id. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 1, § 2: fero, I lament, Sen. Ep. 67, 13.—
2. In a troublesome or offensive manner; of speech, in a labored manner, affectedly: mimice ac moleste, Cat. 42, 8: scribere, August. ap. Suet. Aug. 86: moleste uti distinctionibus, Quint. 11, 3, 181.

Origins

Seemingly from *melos, meles- n; -tus, with the first element an unattested neuter s-stem noun from the same root as mōlēs. Compare modestus.

Descendants
  • Catalanmolest
  • Italianmolesto
  • Portuguesemolesto
  • Spanishmolesto

Quick answers

What does molestus mean in Latin?
molestus, a adjective, means “troublesome, irksome, grievous, annoying, tiresome”.
How do you pronounce molestus?
In classical Latin, [mɔˈɫɛs.tʊs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [moˈlɛs.tus].