indulge

verb

in·dulge | \ in-ˈdəlj

indulged; indulging

Definition of indulge

transitive verb

1a : to give free rein to

b : to take unrestrained pleasure in : gratify

2a : to yield to the desire of : humor please indulge me for a moment

b : to treat with excessive leniency, generosity, or consideration

intransitive verb

: to indulge oneself

Other Words from indulge Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about indulge

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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

While push notifications and smartphone overuse can lead to a general internet fatigue, Flo had given me the thrill of indulging and validating my control freak tendencies. — Julie Bogen, The Verge, "How period tracking apps helped me regain control after going off the pill," 23 Sep. 2018 Also, earlier in June, gossip magazine TVNotas reported that nine members of the Mexican squad indulged in an all-night party with 30 female escorts following their farewell match against Scotland in Mexico City. — Washington Post, "Mexico shakes with excitement over Germany World Cup win," 17 June 2018 The festivities will include indulging in food by Jean-Georges and learning how to make flower arrangements, according to the royal reporter. — Amy Mackelden, Harper's BAZAAR, "Meghan Markle Is Hosting Her Real Baby Shower Today in NYC," 20 Feb. 2019 While some old guard members clubs live on as do a couple of traditional co-working spaces, there is nothing filling the gap for those who want to work and indulge off-duty. — Maggie Maloney, Town & Country, "Inside Maison, a New Club for Women Coming to the Upper East Side," 13 Dec. 2018 Flowery pastel hues peeked out from behind the chill of February: Elle Fanning took a moment to embrace a silvery-pink bob, asking followers to indulge in pretending the hair is hers. — Akili King, Vogue, "The Best Beauty Instagrams of the Week: Madonna, Candice Swanepoel, and More," 3 Mar. 2019 An afternoon at the Skirball Cultural Center's Noah's Ark, which includes hundreds of life-size animal reproductions (many of them interactive), offers an opportunity to indulge in some old-fashioned playtime. — Alice Short, latimes.com, "School's out! 12 fun things for kids (and adults) to do this summer," 22 June 2018 Make sure to indulge in a waffle (or four) from Chez Albert. 16. — Condé Nast Traveler, "The Best Cities in the World: 2018 Readers' Choice Awards," 9 Oct. 2018 And of course Lou Malnati’s, a must for deep-dish pizza lovers looking to indulge the city’s most famous dish. — Billboard, "5 Summer Music Festivals Foodies Can't Miss," 6 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'indulge.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.