pandering

[ pan-der-ing ]

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 Words From

• pan·der·ing·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of pandering¹

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

Example Sentences

This is contemporary sound to dispel clichéd fears of abrasive modernism while never cheaply pandering to mass appeal.

From New York Times

“It’s so self deprecating without being pandering, you know?”

From Los Angeles Times

Some on the left are trying to compete with MAGA's empty pandering by arguing that real masculinity is rooted in the courage to reject bigoted nonsense.

From Salon

At least rhetorically and stylistically, Trump’s administration was defined by his constant pandering to his biggest fans.

From Los Angeles Times

“He has values, he believes in something, he stands on something. He’s not pandering,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times