indulge

verb in·dulge \ in-ˈdəlj \

Updated on: 19 Apr 2018

Definition of indulge

indulged; indulging

transitive verb

1 a : to give free rein to

b : to take unrestrained pleasure in : gratify

2 a : 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

—

indulger

noun

See indulge defined for English-language learners

See indulge defined for kids

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 of indulge from the Web

To identify historical turning points is also to indulge in counterfactuals, to consider how mistakes could have avoided, how events could have taken a different shape.

— linda kinstler, The New Republic, "How 1947 Changed the World," 5 Apr. 2018
No matter your interest--history, art, science, beer, or food--there's a neighborhood for indulging in each.

— birmingham magazine, AL.com, "A neighborhood guide to Charlotte, North Carolina," 27 Mar. 2018
Unfortunately, the stewed beef ($12.99) was dry and lacking in sauce, but the braised oxtails ($13.99) offered the rich, warming experience one hopes for when indulging in stewed dishes.

— lindsey mcclave, The Courier-Journal, "Review: Caribbean restaurant may be tucked away, but its flavors are anything but boring," 21 Feb. 2018
The main reason for my trip to this part of Bavaria, the large state that occupies Germany’s southeastern corner, was to indulge a curiosity about tobogganing.

— alex halberstadt, Smithsonian, "Why Winter Is the Perfect Time to Visit Bavaria," 24 Jan. 2018
With a maker and food scene on the rise, a new kind of supper club invites you to slow down, craft, and indulge in Hawaiian delights The aroma hits you first, a heady mix of briny air and sweet, citrusy plumeria.

— Sunset, "How to Throw an Elegant Hawaiian Feast," 22 Jan. 2018
Taureans love indulging the senses and appreciate life's pleasures; soft fabrics, aromatic moisturizers, and delicious cuisine all delight these epicurean creatures.

— aliza kelly faragher, Allure, "What Your Sign's April 2018 Horoscope Predictions Mean for You," 29 Mar. 2018
This is the infinite possibility of the OASIS, a sprawling metaverse of virtual experiences in which people can indulge in everything from boxing matches to champagne-room stripteases to climbing Mount Everest with Batman.

— peter rubin, WIRED, "Ready Player One Is a Virtually Empty Good Time," 29 Mar. 2018
The company is the brainchild of Robert Bollinger, who ended up in the fortunate position of being able to indulge his childhood passion—in this case building a car.

— jonathan m. gitlin, Ars Technica, "Bollinger’s electric truck is nothing like a Tesla, and that’s OK," 22 Mar. 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.

Origin and Etymology of indulge

Latin indulgēre to be complaisant

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1623

See Words from the same year

indulge Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of 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

INDULGE Defined for English Language Learners

indulge

verb

Definition of indulge for English Language Learners

: to allow (yourself) to have or do something as a special pleasure
: to allow (someone) to have or do something even though it may not be proper, healthy, appropriate, etc.
: to patiently allow (someone) to do or say something