hoarder

noun

hoard·​er ˈhȯr-dər 

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

The hoarder, 50-year-old David Ferrera, was arrested Tuesday night by Los Angeles police on an outstanding warrant on suspicion of misdemeanor theft, according to police and booking records. —Harriet Ryan, Los Angeles Times, 17 July 2024

The hoarder novel may preserve, but the cleaner novel liberates. —Nicholas Dames, The Atlantic, 14 June 2024

That choice also makes sense for someone who went from a neat and tidy home to one of a hoarder, but Witt actually believes that Ruth was already on the verge of a mental illness. —Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019

When new notes have been introduced previously, many cash hoarders have opted to replace old notes with new ones. —Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune Asia, 3 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1513, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

hoarder

noun

hoard·​er ˈhȯrd-ər 

: 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