pander
definition
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.