迎合 yínghé to cater to
to cater to; to pander to
How to remember 迎合: 迎 welcome + 合 join together = to cater to.
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How it is used
- To cater/pander to someone's tastes or wishes - usually disapproving - 一味迎合观众 (yíwèi yínghé guānzhòng) blindly pandering to the audience.
- Implies compromising to please, chasing popularity or a superior's liking (迎合市场 cater to the market; 迎合上级).
- Carries a whiff of spinelessness; more negative than the neutral 满足 (meet/satisfy needs). To pander, not merely to serve.