迎合

• Pinyin: yíng hé
• Hanzi breakdown: 迎 = 辶 + 卬 (movement toward); 合 = 人 + 口 (person + mouth — to fit/conform)

Meaning

To cater to; to pander to; to accommodate oneself to others' tastes or wishes, often at the expense of principle.

Carries a mildly negative or neutral-to-negative connotation — it implies adjusting one's behaviour or output to please others rather than acting on genuine conviction. Common in media criticism (迎合大众口味 — pandering to popular taste), political commentary (迎合民粹情绪), and workplace dynamics.

Examples

1. 这家新闻机构转向娱乐内容，被批评是在迎合点击率，损害公信力。 The news outlet shifted to entertainment content and was criticized for catering to clicks, which hurt its credibility.
2. 优秀设计师应引领审美，而不是迎合消费者口味。 Great designers should lead taste, not pander to consumers' preferences.
3. 学者指出，部分研究机构为保经费，故意调整结论迎合主管部门立场。 The scholar pointed out that some research institutes deliberately adjust their conclusions to please the supervising department's position in order to keep funding.

Usage Guide

Context: media, politics, criticism, business

Tone: critical

Do Say

• 这档综艺因内容低俗而受批评，制作团队一味迎合感官刺激需求，放弃了教化功能。(This variety show was criticized for its vulgar content, and the production team simply pandered to the demand for sensory thrills, abandoning its educational role.)
• 投标中，多数团队迎合评审偏好改方案，只有这家小公司坚持独立判断，反而获认可。(In the bidding process, most teams changed their plans to suit the judges' preferences, but this small company stuck to its own judgment and was recognized instead.)

Don't Say

• 他迎合了我的要求 — 迎合 implies pandering or currying favour, which can feel insulting when applied to someone simply fulfilling a legitimate request; use 满足了我的要求 or 按照我的要求做了 for neutral compliance

Origin & History

迎 (to face/go toward — movement toward something) + 合 (to fit/join — 人 + 口, person + mouth, meaning to fit together or agree)

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal