indulge

verb

in·​dulge in-ˈdəlj How to pronounce indulge (audio)
indulged; indulging

transitive verb

1
a
: to yield to the desire of : humor
please indulge me for a moment
b
: to treat with excessive leniency, generosity, or consideration
2
a
: to give free rein to
b
: to take unrestrained pleasure in : gratify

intransitive verb

: to indulge oneself
indulger noun
Choose the Right Synonym for indulge

indulge, pamper, humor, spoil, baby, mollycoddle mean to show undue favor to a person's desires and feelings.

indulge implies excessive compliance and weakness in gratifying another's or one's own desires.

indulged myself with food at the slightest excuse

pamper implies inordinate gratification of desire for luxury and comfort with consequent enervating effect.

pampered by the amenities of modern living

humor stresses a yielding to a person's moods or whims.

humored him by letting him tell the story

spoil stresses the injurious effects on character by indulging or pampering.

foolish parents spoil their children

baby suggests excessive care, attention, or solicitude.

babying students by grading too easily

mollycoddle suggests an excessive degree of care and attention to another's health or welfare.

refused to mollycoddle her malingering son

Examples of indulge in a Sentence

It's my birthday. I'm going to indulge myself and eat whatever I want to eat. It's my birthday. I'm going to indulge. Please indulge me while I review the topics we covered yesterday. The museum is an excellent place to let children indulge their curiosity about dinosaurs. She bought a house with a big yard so that she could indulge her passion for gardening.
Recent Examples on the Web With chocolate prices rising, this might be the time to indulge. Helen Chandler-Wilde, Fortune Europe, 22 Mar. 2024 Doug indulges him up to a point, and the dog seems to understand when to knock it off. Sierra Greer, WIRED, 19 Mar. 2024 As in Eliot, there is a sense of understanding human frailty without indulging it, a dryness. Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2024 For a few hours Saturday night, AT&T Stadium got to live on island time with Kenny Chesney, and indulge his escapism. Jake Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Jan. 2024 The three movements of the concerto indulge McGill’s chops and leave ample room for his clarity and expressive range. Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 10 Mar. 2024 Where Gyllenhaal’s smile teases, his body indulges. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Mar. 2024 My wife has indulged and catered to her every whim since. Jeanne Phillips, The Mercury News, 6 Mar. 2024 Yet the lack of sophistication pleased the giggly adolescent mindset that also indulged Reiner’s Stand by Me (1986), an insipid piece of Stephen King nostalgia. Armond White, National Review, 7 Feb. 2024

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

Word History

Etymology

Latin indulgēre to be complaisant

First Known Use

circa 1623, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2a

Time Traveler
The first known use of indulge was circa 1623

Dictionary Entries Near indulge

Cite this Entry

“Indulge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/indulge. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

indulge

verb
in·​dulge in-ˈdəlj How to pronounce indulge (audio)
indulged; indulging
1
: to give in to one's own or another's desires : humor
indulged their grandchildren's whims
2
: to allow oneself the pleasure of having or doing something
decided to indulge in ice cream
indulger noun

More from Merriam-Webster on indulge

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