Showing results for "pandering"

• present participle of pander.

pandering

American  

[pan-der-ing] / ˈpæn dər ɪŋ /

noun

1. the act of catering to or profiting from the weaknesses, vices, or unreasonable desires of others.

   Pandering and fear-mongering are the main ingredients of his appeal to anxious voters.

2. the act or practice of furnishing clients for a prostitute or supplying persons for illicit sex acts.

   Human trafficking violates many other laws as well, including those against kidnapping, slavery, false imprisonment, and pandering.

---

adjective

1. catering to or profiting from the weaknesses, vices, or unreasonable desires of others.

   He’s the epitome of the pandering politician, ready to say yes to everyone.

Other Word Forms

• panderingly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of pandering

First recorded in 1600–10; pander + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun senses; pander + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective sense

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pandering

After I made these adjustments, I got fewer pep talks, but I’m still wary of the pandering.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026

“The experience of being Arab and Muslim has been to be the object of hate by one party and the subject of pandering by another. Both of them are alienating,” he said.

From Slate ● Apr. 29, 2026

In turn, an expanding roster of immersive, cinematic TV made the medium’s cheesy jingles and pandering copy look and sound discordant.

From Salon ● Apr. 25, 2026

There’s another song called “Walk Away,” but we thought that might be pandering.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 28, 2025

We’d been taught that worrying about inmates’ concerns was tantamount to pandering, that it almost demeaned an officer.

From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover