pandering

[ pan-der-ing ]
See synonyms for pandering on Thesaurus.com
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.

Origin of pandering

1
First recorded in 1600–10; pander + -ing1 for the noun senses; pander + -ing2 for the adjective sense

Other words from pandering

  • pan·der·ing·ly, adverb

Words Nearby pandering

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use pandering in a sentence