to gratify or indulge an immoral desire or weakness
example
The politician chose to pander to the voters' fears rather than address the complex issues at hand.
synonyms
caterindulgesatisfy
word origin — The word 'pander' originates from the name of a character, Pandarus, in Geoffrey Chaucer's 'Troilus and Criseyde' (c. 1385), where he acted as a go-between for Troilus and Criseyde, leading to a connotation of indulgence in immoral desires.
SAT Vocabulary Level 2 — Set 208
Set 208 of SAT Vocabulary Level 2 covers 5 words: pander, conspire, elucidate, adorn, disintegrate. Each entry below includes its definition, an example sentence, and synonyms — practice them with the interactive cards above.
pander · verb/ˈpændɚ/
to gratify or indulge an immoral desire or weakness
The politician chose to pander to the voters' fears rather than address the complex issues at hand.
Synonyms: cater, indulge, satisfy
Origin: The word 'pander' originates from the name of a character, Pandarus, in Geoffrey Chaucer's 'Troilus and Criseyde' (c. 1385), where he acted as a go-between for Troilus and Criseyde, leading to a connotation of indulgence in immoral desires.
conspire · verb/kənˈspaɪr/
to plan secretly with others to achieve an unlawful or harmful goal
The officials were found to conspire against the government by leaking confidential information to the press.
Synonyms: collude, plot, scheme
Origin: from Latin 'conspirare', meaning 'to breathe together'
elucidate · verb/ɪˈluːsɪˌdeɪt/
to make something clear or easy to understand
The teacher tried to elucidate the complex concepts of quantum physics to her students during the lecture.
Synonyms: clarify, explain, illuminate
Origin: From Latin 'elucidare', which means 'to make clear'.
adorn · verb/əˈdɔrn/
to add beauty or decoration to something
The artist decided to adorn the blank canvas with vibrant colors and intricate patterns.
Synonyms: decorate, embellish, adorn
Origin: Middle English 'adornen', from Old French 'adorner', from Latin 'adornāre' (to equip, adorn), from 'ad-' (to) + 'ornāre' (to equip, adorn)
disintegrate · verb/dɪsˈɪntɪˌɡreɪt/
to break apart into pieces or components
As the ancient ruins were exposed to the elements, they began to disintegrate into dust and fragments.
Synonyms: break down, fall apart, fragment
Origin: from Latin 'disintegrat-', the past participle of 'disintegrare', meaning 'to separate into parts'