guilty pleasure

noun

: something pleasurable that induces a usually minor feeling of guilt

Examples of guilty pleasure in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Many people used to consider reality TV shows a guilty pleasure, says Lindemann. Renée Onque, CNBC, 25 Mar. 2026 If baseball is America's pastime, and football is its obsession, then the Ultimate Fighting Championship might be its guilty pleasure. Luke Burbank, CBS News, 1 Mar. 2026 I'mPhaedra Trethan, contemplating a guilty pleasure. Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 16 Feb. 2026 Instantly recognizable to anyone fluent in ’90s red carpet culture, and an instant nostalgia guilty pleasure. Alex Badia, Footwear News, 22 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for guilty pleasure

Word History

First Known Use

1907, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of guilty pleasure was in 1907

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Cite this Entry

“Guilty pleasure.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/guilty%20pleasure. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.

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