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
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.
Baker, 37, indulged them, starting out of her Fairfax, Calif., living room a finance club that eventually became her present-day financial education startup, Dow Janes — which boasts an Instagram following of nearly half a million. Malia Mendez, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2025 But unfortunately, indulging too much in fried foods will trigger your cortisol. Audrey Noble, Vogue, 25 June 2025 The murderers do not indulge the lie of most pro-Palestinian advocates that there is a distinction between Jews and Zionists. Jay Tcath, Chicago Tribune, 10 June 2025 For those who can afford these temporary solves for our aging anxieties, indulging seems to be the easier path to gratification than reckoning with those feelings. Sable Yong, Allure, 10 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for indulge

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

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Cite this Entry

“Indulge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/indulge. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.

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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