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.
Budgeting apps might become your new guilty pleasure. Valerie Mesa, People.com, 2 Sep. 2025 This is less about guilty pleasures and more about digital exposure. Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 31 Aug. 2025 Big functions like a wedding are great for popular, familiar songs, but some guilty pleasures stay in the vault. Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 28 Aug. 2025 There are no guilty pleasures in childhood. Sloane Crosley, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Guilty pleasure.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/guilty%20pleasure. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!