pander
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
noun
verb
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to give gratification (to weaknesses or desires)
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(archaic when tr) to act as a go-between in a sexual intrigue (for)
noun
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a person who caters for vulgar desires, esp in order to make money
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a person who procures a sexual partner for another; pimp
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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pandersimple
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panderssimple
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have panderedperfect
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has panderedperfect
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am panderingprogressive
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are panderingprogressive
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is panderingprogressive
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have been panderingperfect progressive
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has been panderingperfect progressive
Past
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panderedsimple
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had panderedperfect
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was panderingprogressive
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were panderingprogressive
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had been panderingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of pander
First recorded in 1325–75; earlier pandar(e), generalized use of Middle English name Pandare Pandarus
Explanation
If a campaigning politician wants to pander to a crowd of pet owners, he might deliver a speech while embracing his own pet poodle. To pander is to appease or gratify, and often in a negative, self-serving way. The word pander began its infamous history as the name of various characters. Pandaro was a character in Boccaccio’s Filostrato. Pandarus was a character in Chaucer’s Troilus and Criseyde, as well as in Shakespeare’s Troilus and Cressida. These literary works all tell the tale of star-crossed lovers, and the namesake of pander is, essentially, a go-between whose motives don't seem entirely pure.
Vocabulary lists containing pander
The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
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Talk Like Shakespeare Day, List 1
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Scythe
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The whole affair was tawdry, shabby, and cheap—designed to pander to downwardly mobile young men who felt angry at the world.
From Slate • Jun. 11, 2026
But the jury is out on whether Warsh will "pander to the president" if persistent inflation called for higher rates, he added.
From Barron's • Jan. 30, 2026
They acted like owners, obsessed over cash flow and didn’t pander to Wall Street’s whims.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 14, 2026
The band didn’t pander to the newbie meme crowds though.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 6, 2025
Bard or pander, Abel’s voice was passable, his playing fair.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
