pander to — indulge someone's weaknesses or desires (disapproving)
to do or say what someone wants, especially when it is not good for them, in order to please them or get something from them; often used to criticise people or organisations who give in to others' unreasonable wishes or lower standards to gain approval or advantage.
Say it like a native
Textbook The newspaper caters excessively to the baser instincts of its readers.
Native The paper just panders to its readers' worst instincts.
'Pander to' carries the disapproval in one verb; the long paraphrase spells it out clumsily.
Pattern: pander to + noun/pronoun
In use
- Some politicians pander to public fears instead of addressing real issues.society
- In my opinion, the media often panders to sensationalism rather than providing balanced information, which can negatively affect public understanding.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ Politicians often pander voters.
✓ Politicians often pander to voters.
Always 'pander TO' someone.
Common collocations
pander to— pander to, the crowd, voters, the lowest common denominator
Don't confuse it
Unlike more neutral verbs like 'cater to' or 'respond to', 'pander to' always carries a negative judgement, suggesting that someone is encouraging or indulging negative qualities or desires for their own benefit.