hoarding

1 of 2

noun (1)

hoard·​ing ˈhȯr-diŋ 

plural hoardings

1

a

: the practice of collecting or accumulating something (such as money or food)

The hoarding and misuse of resources was uncommon even in times of natural disaster …

—Tanvi Nagpal

b

: something that is hoarded

—usually plural

Inside the net with us was a large brown paper bag, spewing forth the Halloween hoardings of the child in the gorilla suit …

—John Irving

2

psychology : the compulsion to continually accumulate a variety of items that are often considered useless or worthless by others accompanied by an inability to discard the items without great distress

Hoarding is marked by an overwhelming desire to collect items and an inability to discard things that may seem useless, to such a point that the collections cause stress and start impacting a person's health, career or relationships.

—Erin Allday

People justify hoarding as curating and recycling, deeming odd objects beautiful and useful.

—Peter D. Kramer

see also hoarding disorder

hoarding

2 of 2

noun (2)

plural hoardings

1

: a temporary board fence put about a building being erected or repaired

called also hoard

2

British : billboard

Examples of hoarding in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Firefighters later discovered extreme hoarding conditions in both homes while neither had smoke alarms, the fire marshal said. —Dillon Mullan, Baltimore Sun, 9 Apr. 2024

Recent toilet-paper hoarding was more prevalent among Americans than Europeans and more prevalent among the old than the young. —Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 19 June 2024

The World Bank customized support for the UN humanitarian agencies that handle food and agriculture and worked with the WTO and the G-20 to resist export bans and boost transparency in order to avoid panic and hoarding. —Robert B. Zoellick, Foreign Affairs, 22 Feb. 2022

The movie gathers a starry cast led by Succession star Sarah Snook, who lends her voice to protagonist Grace Puddle, a young woman with a difficult life story who finds comfort in the hoarding of snail memorabilia. —Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 15 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (2)

hourd, hoard hoarding

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1589, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (2)

circa 1823, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing hoarding

• hoarding disorder

Medical Definition

hoarding

noun

hoard·​ing ˈhȯrd-iŋ 

: the compulsion to continually accumulate a variety of items that are often considered useless or worthless by others accompanied by an inability to discard the items without great distress

Hoarding is marked by an overwhelming desire to collect items and an inability to discard things that may seem useless, to such a point that the collections cause stress and start impacting a person's health, career or relationships.

—Erin Allday

People justify hoarding as curating and recycling, deeming odd objects beautiful and useful.

—Peter D. Kramer

see hoarding disorder