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

And fake asylum seekers were indulged instead of deported. — Jason L. Riley, WSJ, "Europe’s Migrant Disaster Should Teach America a Lesson," 27 Nov. 2018 Context: It's been a long-running joke on the Internet that Legend looks like Arthur, something Teigen herself has indulged many, many times. — Christopher Rosa, Glamour, "John Legend Just Achieved EGOT Status—so Chrissy Teigen Obviously Roasted Him," 10 Sep. 2018 Those born with this placement love indulging their exquisite style and taste within their partnerships. — Aliza Kelly Faragher, Allure, "What the Position of Venus in Your Birth Chart Means for You," 31 July 2018 Instead, this darker, bloodier version of Sabrina Spellman’s antics introduces a world in which the misconception that witchcraft, paganism, and Wiccan rituals are about devil worship is indulged to create a brewing battle for ultimate control. — Kelsea Stahler, Teen Vogue, "The Resurgence of Witches in Pop Culture Like Sabrina, AHS "Coven," and "Charmed" Reflects Women in the Real World," 14 Nov. 2018 The Promontory Mom will enjoy some tunes while indulging in brunch at this Hyde Park favorite. — Christen A. Johnson, chicagotribune.com, "25 Mother's Day brunch spots to wine and dine mom," 30 Apr. 2018 The Collins Quarter restaurant and bar downtown had 80 people reserve a spot at $200 apiece to watch the parade from chairs on the sidewalk while indulging in an open bar and unlimited food. — Washington Post, "Savannah ‘worried about the fun’ as Pence comes to St. Pat’s," 14 Mar. 2018 This brand has been built on misogyny and indulging/provoking men. — Jessica Andrews, Teen Vogue, "Potential Victoria's Secret Fashion Show Plus-Size, Transgender, and Disabled Models Speak Out," 8 Nov. 2018 Such fun occurred on Late Night With Seth Meyers on Wednesday evening (September 26), as Bell indulged the crowd with what should've been Emmy-winning narration for an array of Trump's musings. — D. Elizabeth, Glamour, "Kristen Bell Reading Donald Trump's Tweets Like Gossip Girl Is Getting Me Through Today," 27 Sep. 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.