pander
pander Lexical Profile
pander Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To gratify or indulge an immoral, distasteful, or superficial desire, need, or prejudice (usually followed by 'to').
"The filmmaker refused to pander to the studio's demand for a conventional, crowd-pleasing ending."
• noun
A person who caters to or exploits the weaknesses, baser desires, or prejudices of others.
"Critics dismissed the opportunistic commentator as a shameless pander to public fear."
A person who arranges illicit sexual relationships for others; a go-between or procurer.
"In classic Renaissance drama, the cunning servant often functions as a pander for the wealthy nobleman."
Word Nuance & Usage
As a verb, 'pander' is almost exclusively followed by the preposition 'to' (e.g., 'pander to the crowd') and carries a strongly disapproving connotation of sacrificing integrity to please others.
• Rhymes for pander
Word Origin & Etymology
From Middle English Pandare, derived from the character Pandarus in Geoffrey Chaucer's poem 'Troilus and Criseyde' (and later Shakespeare's 'Troilus and Cressida'), who acted as the go-between for the lovers.