pander
pander — verb
- panderpresent simple I / you / we / they
- panders3rd person singular
- pandering-ing form
- panderedpast simple
1. to give people what they want, especially when the desire is morally wrong or of
to give people what they want, especially when the desire is morally wrong or of low quality, so that they will approve of you or support you
To win re-election, the mayor pandered to wealthy developers instead of helping local families.
pander + to + noun (person/group)
Sivan accused the newspaper of pandering to readers who just wanted scandalous stories.
gerund: pandering + to + noun
Olivia told her agent she would not pander to fashion trends that promote unhealthy bodies.
Cheap online courses pander to people's desire for easy money without any real work.
Pandering to popular prejudice may win votes, but it damages public debate.
文法句型
pander + to + noun (person or quality)
用法筆記
Always used with 'to' — the object is either a group of people (voters, audiences) or a negative quality (greed, prejudice, fear). Strongly disapproving; never used in neutral contexts.
常見錯誤
pander — noun
1. an instance of giving people what they want in a way that is morally wrong or of
an instance of giving people what they want in a way that is morally wrong or of low quality, in order to win their approval
Critics called the film's violent scenes a cheap pander to teenage audiences.
collocation: a cheap pander to
The senator's speech was a blatant pander to religious voters.
The museum's new exhibit felt like a pander to tourist tastes rather than real art.
Some dismissed the policy change as a pander to corporate interests.
- capitulation
implies giving in under pressure rather than actively seeking approval
文法句型
a pander + to + noun
用法筆記
This noun form is far less common than the verb. It is always used with an evaluative adjective (cheap, blatant, obvious) and the preposition 'to'.
2. a person who regularly says or does what powerful or popular people want, even w
a person who regularly says or does what powerful or popular people want, even when it is wrong, so that they will be liked or supported
A real friend gives honest advice, not the empty praise of a pander.
contrast: honest advice vs. empty praise of a pander
Wei was tired of a manager who was just a pander to executives.
In ancient courts, panders surrounded the king and told him only what pleased him.
A pander never challenges popular opinion, preferring comfort over truth.
- critic
someone who gives honest, often negative, assessments
文法句型
a pander + to + noun
用法筆記
Old-fashioned in this sense. The synonym 'sycophant' or 'yes-man' is more common in modern English. The historical meaning overlaps heavily with sense 3.
3. in historical or literary contexts, a person who arranged secret romantic meetin
in historical or literary contexts, a person who arranged secret romantic meetings for others, or who found customers for prostitutes
In Shakespeare's plays, panders appear as servants who arrange secret meetings between lovers.
Shakespearean context
The word 'pander' originally described a go-between in romantic intrigues during the Middle Ages.
Historical panders were go-betweens who helped aristocrats conduct secret love affairs.
Caleb read an old novel where a cruel pander sells a young woman to wealthy gentlemen.
- pimp
modern and more direct; focuses on the sex-work meaning, not the romantic-go-between role
- go-between
neutral; does not carry the same moral disapproval
- procurer
formal, similar to pimp
用法筆記
This is the original meaning of the word, derived from the character Pandarus in Chaucer's Troilus and Criseyde. In modern contexts, 'pimp' is the more common word for the sex-work sense. This sense is now mainly encountered in historical or literary discussion.