hoarder

noun

hoard·​er ˈhȯr-dər 

plural hoarders

: a person or animal that hoards

We love shopping, and logically so: we're planners and hoarders, and by stocking up on available goods now, we can weather lean times tomorrow.

—Natalie Angier

specifically : a person with hoarding disorder

She is someone who buys too much and doesn't throw anything away, even as the stuff piles up and impedes normal life—the textbook definition of a hoarder.

—Steven Kurutz

Most hoarders … know that their behavior is socially unacceptable and as a result actively conceal it from others.

—Sandra G. Boodman

Examples of hoarder in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Without key knowledge, the hoarder’s team may begin filling in the pieces of missing information with their own interpretations or become anxious about the situation. —Kathleen Shanley, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024

But what if the problem were right next door, a troubled hoarder who turned a plot of property into a dangerous dump? —Harriet Ryan, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2024

Keepin’ Tabs Hey speaking of Google, the company also announced some good news for all of us filthy browser tab hoarders. —Boone Ashworth, WIRED, 14 Sep. 2024

Harker may have been spared because her hoarder mom, Ruth (Alicia Ruth), raised her without a father. —Beatrice Loayza, Vulture, 12 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1513, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

hoarder

noun

hoard·​er ˈhȯrd-ər 

: a person affected with hoarding disorder

Most hoarders … know that their behavior is socially unacceptable and as a result actively conceal it from others.

—Sandra G. Boodman