Meanings
plural panders · alternative pandar
- A person who furthers the illicit love-affairs of others; a pimp or procurer.
It was not only the brilliant phalanx of virtuous dowagers, generals and academicians with whom he was most intimately associated that Swann so cynically compelled to serve him as panders.
1992, Moncrieff/Kilmartin/Enright, translating Marcel Proust, Swann’s Way, Folio Society 2005, p. 1901 more example
[…] if ever you prove false one, to another since I have taken such paine to bring you together let all pittifull goers betweene be cald to the worlds end after my name, call them all Panders, let all constant men be Troylusses all false woemen Cressids, and all brokers betweene panders
1609, Shakespeare, Troilus and Cressida, act 3Synonyms: panderer, abbot, bludger, bully, cock-bawd, dalaal, fishmonger, flashman
- An offer of illicit sex with a third party.
- broadlyOne who ministers to the evil designs and passions of another.
Those wicked panders to avarice and ambition.
1796, Edmund Burke, A Letter from the Right Honourable Edmund Burke to a Noble Lord, on the Attacks Made upon Him and His Pension, […], London: […] J. Owen, […], and F[rancis] and C[harles] Rivington, […], →OCLC2 more examples
Camillo was his helpe in this, his Pandar: There is a Plot against my Life, my Crowne; All's true that is mistrusted: that false Villaine, Whom I employ'd, was pre-emplot'd
c. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Winters Tale”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii], page 282, column 1Two small Hindu boys were waiting for me outside—small for their years (about fourteen) but infinitely worldly-wise. Hindu boys are, first, panders, and second, remarkably skillful and pertinacious beggars.
1944 May, Gilbert E. Fuller Jr, “Chanute and Points West”, in The Atlantic
present singular third person panders · participle present pandering · participle past pandered · past pandered · alternative pandar
- intransitiveTo tempt with, to appeal or cater to (improper motivations, etc.); to assist in gratification.
His latest speech panders to the worst instincts of the electorate.
1 more example
[...] both the Conservatives and Labour are guilty of pandering to the road lobby at the time of Beeching's The Reshaping of Britain's Railways report published in 1963.
2020 July 29, Howard Johnston, “Reversing Beeching: just how serious is the DfT?”, in Rail, page 30Synonyms: pamper
- transitiveTo offer (something or someone) in order to tempt or appeal, especially to base or improper motivations.
Who knows what Brill really thought? But he pandered the rumor linking Spear to a whole string of dastardly deeds.
1980 April 19, Mitzel, “Barbre Murder Grand Jury: Puccini Outtake”, in Gay Community News, page 1 - obsoletetransitiveTo act as a pander for (somebody).
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA person who furthers the illicit love-affairs of others; a pimp or procurer.
verbTo tempt with, to appeal or cater to (improper motivations, etc.); to assist in gratification.
verbTo offer illicit sex with a third party; to pimp.
More synonyms by meaning
nounsomeone who procures customers for whores (in England they call a pimp a ponce)
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Ancient GreekΠάνδαρος
- LatinPandarus
- ItalianPandaro
- Middle Englishpandare
- Englishpander
From Middle English pandare, from Chaucer’s character Pandare (in Troilus and Criseyde; see also Shakespeare’s Troilus and Cressida), from Italian Pandaro (found in Boccaccio), from Latin Pandarus (found in Greek mythology), from Ancient Greek Πάνδαρος (Pándaros).
More words from Middle English, Italian, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian сводничество, своднича
- сводничество (svodničestvo)offer of illicit sex with a third party
- своднича (svodniča)to offer illicit sex with a third party
Catalan incitar, temptar
- incitarto appeal or cater to
- temptarto appeal or cater to
Chinese Mandarin 皮条客, 拉皮條 /拉皮条
- 皮条客 (pítiáokè)offer of illicit sex with a third party
- 拉皮條 /拉皮条 (lāpítiáo)to offer illicit sex with a third party
Czech podlézat, podbízet se
- podlézatto appeal or cater to
- podbízet seto appeal or cater to
Danish imødekomme
- imødekommeto appeal or cater to
Dutch tegemoetkomen aan, toegeven aan
- tegemoetkomen aanto appeal or cater to
- toegeven aanto appeal or cater to
- naar de mond pratento appeal or cater to
- koppelento offer illicit sex with a third party
Finnish paritus, vedota
- paritusoffer of illicit sex with a third party
- vedotato appeal or cater to
- parittaato offer illicit sex with a third party
German nachgeben, frönen
- nachgebento appeal or cater to
- frönento appeal or cater to
- zufriedenstellento appeal or cater to
- Befriedigung verschaffento appeal or cater to
- befriedigento appeal or cater to
- huldigento appeal or cater to
- anbiedernto appeal or cater to
- andienento appeal or cater to
- verkuppelnto offer illicit sex with a third party
Italian ammiccare
- ammiccareto appeal or cater to
Māori morimori
- morimorito appeal or cater to
Polish stręczyciel, stręczycielka
- stręczycielpimp or procurer
- stręczycielkapimp or procurer
- sutenerpimp or procurer
- kuplerpimp or procurer
- kuplerkapimp or procurer
- rajfurpimp or procurer
- rajfurkapimp or procurer
- alfonspimp or procurer
- stręczycielstwooffer of illicit sex with a third party
- sutenerstwooffer of illicit sex with a third party
- kuplerstwooffer of illicit sex with a third party
- rajfurstwooffer of illicit sex with a third party
- przymilać sięto appeal or cater to
- przymilić sięto appeal or cater to
- ulegaćto appeal or cater to
- ulecto appeal or cater to
- dogadzaćto appeal or cater to
- dogodzićto appeal or cater to
- stręczyćto offer illicit sex with a third party
- rajfurzyćto offer illicit sex with a third party
- rajfurowaćto offer illicit sex with a third party
Russian потво́рствовать, потака́ть
- потво́рствовать (potvórstvovatʹ)to appeal or cater to
- потака́ть (potakátʹ)to appeal or cater to
- сво́дничать (svódničatʹ)to offer illicit sex with a third party
Spanish complacer, satisfacer
- complacerto appeal or cater to
- satisfacerto appeal or cater to
- consentirto appeal or cater to
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with pander
All rhymes →Sounds the same
Anagrams
Cite this entry
pander. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pander
“pander.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pander. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pander,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pander.
Source: pander on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.