hoarder

noun

hoard·​er ˈhȯr-dər How to pronounce hoarder (audio)
plural hoarders
: a person or animal that hoards
We love shopping, and logically so: we're planners and hoarders, and by stocking up on available goods now, we can weather lean times tomorrow.Natalie Angier
specifically : a person with hoarding disorder
She is someone who buys too much and doesn't throw anything away, even as the stuff piles up and impedes normal life—the textbook definition of a hoarder. Steven Kurutz
Most hoarders … know that their behavior is socially unacceptable and as a result actively conceal it from others. Sandra G. Boodman

Examples of hoarder in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web One of our residents is very private, and possibly a hoarder. Jill Terreri Ramos, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2024 And hoarders in particular view themselves as frugal rather than nuts. Marni Jameson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Jan. 2024 Several dogs will need new homes after they were rescued from a Georgia hoarder, an animal nonprofit said. Makiya Seminera, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2024 Like a Dyson Animal Vacuum, the super hoarder sucks everything — including but not limited to papers, books, clothes, jars, broken appliances and stray cats — to it and does not release. Marni Jameson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Jan. 2024 Contrary to the zero-sum claims of history-denying capital hoarders, a more just country is a more prosperous country, too. Roy Swan, Fortune, 15 Jan. 2024 Such feeders are effectively outdoor-cat hoarders, akin to the people who hoard cats in their dwellings. Jonathan Franzen, The New Yorker, 25 Dec. 2023 Dear Sahaj: My daughter and her husband are hoarders. Sahaj Kaur Kohli, Washington Post, 9 Nov. 2023 Danny DeVito plays a hoarder on Broadway, Jimmy Buffett’s final album is released, Meg Ryan and David Duchovny get stranded at the airport and more. Wsj Arts, WSJ, 29 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hoarder.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1513, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hoarder was circa 1513

Dictionary Entries Near hoarder

Cite this Entry

“Hoarder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hoarder. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

hoarder

noun
hoard·​er ˈhȯrd-ər How to pronounce hoarder (audio)
: a person affected with hoarding disorder
Most hoarders … know that their behavior is socially unacceptable and as a result actively conceal it from others.Sandra G. Boodman

More from Merriam-Webster on hoarder

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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