pander

1 of 2

verb

pan·​der ˈpan-dər 

pandered; pandering ˈpan-d(ə-)riŋ  ; panders

intransitive verb

1

: to say, do, or provide what someone (such as an audience) wants or demands even though it is not good, proper, reasonable, etc.

… ignores doing the right thing … in favor of pandering for votes.

— George Ochenski

… used his brilliant gifts to pander to popular taste.

—Hubert Saal

… TV that panders to the worst in us.

—Jill Parkin

… a political chameleon trying to pander to voters …

—Cameron Smith

2

: to act as a pander (see pander entry 2 sense 2)

panderer

ˈpan-dər-ər 

noun

plural panderers

pander

2 of 2

noun

plural panders

1

a

: the act or an instance of pandering (see pander entry 1 sense 1)

Calling congressional leaders babies … is a pander to public opinion rather than an attempt to inform or lead it.

—Josh Benson

… is among the worst films of the year, a shameless pander for awards recognition …

—Jason Bailey

b

: someone who panders (see pander entry 1 sense 1)

… his primary goal is self promotion. He is a political pander.

—Allison Hoffman

2

a

: a go-between in love intrigues

b

: pimp

Synonyms

Noun

• cadet [slang]
• fancy man
• pimp
• procurer

Examples of pander in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

And how can bettors gain the upper hand in the women’s game ahead of the May 24 final in Lisbon? Betting on inefficiency — why the women’s teams deserve your bet Brand prestige shapes perception, but betting markets are meant to price reality instead of pandering to public opinion. —Julia Ranney, New York Times, 15 May 2025

Multiple news outlets, including Fox News, framed the truck as an act of burger diplomacy; the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia pandered to a mercurial elderly man, ostensibly to guarantee that a slender beef patty was never far from his lips. —Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 14 May 2025

But imagine the uproar if Fogler wasn’t given a campy song to sing in his laboratory or Wilson wasn’t given a pandering female empowerment anthem to croon in a castle. —Courtney Howard, Variety, 8 May 2025

The good news is that some new Star Wars content has been able to create more diversity in a way that feels organic and not like pandering at all. —Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

derivative of pander entry 2

Noun

Middle English Pandare pandarus

First Known Use

Verb

1641, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Rhymes for pander

• brander
• candor
• dander
• gander
• grander
• hander
• laender
• lander
• sander
• slander
• stander
• zander

Kids Definition

pander

noun

pan·​der

ˈpan-dər

variants or panderer

-dər-ər

: one who takes advantage of or profits from the weaknesses and mean desires of others

pander verb

Legal Definition

pander

1 of 2 transitive verb

pan·​der ˈpan-dər 

: to sell or distribute by pandering

had no protected right to pander prurient materials

—Dunigan Enterprises v. DA for the Northern District, 415 N.E.2d 251 (1981)

intransitive verb

: to engage in pandering

counts included…conspiracy to pander and receive the earnings of a prostitute

—State v. Tocco, 750 P.2d 874 (1988)

pander

2 of 2 noun

: one who engages in pandering : panderer

Etymology

Noun

Middle English Pandare, character who procured for Troilus the love of Cressida in Troilus and Creseyde, poem by Geoffrey Chaucer (ca. 1342–1400)