molestato

Molestato is the past participle of the Italian verb molestare, meaning to bother, disturb, or harass. It can function as an adjective describing someone who has been harassed, or as part of a compound tense or passive construction, as in è stato molestato. When used descriptively, it agrees in gender and number with the noun: una persona molestata, due individui molestati.

Etymology and related terms: Molestare derives from Latin molestare “to trouble,” from molestus “troublesome.” Related terms include molestazione (harassment), molestatore (harasser), and, in other Romance languages, cognates such as Spanish molestado and Portuguese molestado.

Usage and nuance: In neutral contexts, molestato simply denotes that harassment or disturbance occurred. In Italian, more specific phrases such as molestazione sessuale or molestazioni sessuali are used for sexual harassment; in legal or formal language, precise terminology may be preferred. In grammar, the participle can modify a noun as an adjective, or form the passive voice with essere: È stato molestato, è stata molestata. The verb is transitive and typically takes avere in compound tenses (Ho molestato qualcuno). Overall, molestato is a common, non-technical past participle with clear associations to harassment, nuisance, or disturbance, depending on context.