pander

American  

[pan-der] / ˈpæn dər /

verb (used without object)

1. to cater to or profit from the weaknesses or vices of others.

   to pander to the vile tastes of the vulgar masses.

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verb (used with object)

1. to act as a pimp or procurer of clients for (a prostitute).

noun

1. a panderer.

pander British  

/ ˈpændə /

verb

1. to give gratification (to weaknesses or desires)

2. (archaic when tr) to act as a go-between in a sexual intrigue (for)

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noun

1. a person who caters for vulgar desires, esp in order to make money

2. a person who procures a sexual partner for another; pimp

Other Word Forms

• panderage noun
• panderism noun
• panderly adjective

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.

Example Sentences

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

You don’t pander, and you don’t pretend complexity doesn’t exist.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 11, 2025

It’s a screed against the worst kind of rich, those who fetishize the working class to pander to them.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 8, 2024

Each commentator has a curse of knowledge of his own, together with hobbyhorses, blind spots, and axes to grind, and the writer cannot pander to all of them.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker