indulged 1 of 2

indulged

2 of 2

verb

past tense of indulge
1
as in humored
to give in to (a desire) the grandparents indulged the child's wishes to an extent that they never did with their own children

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in surrendered
to give (oneself) over to something especially unrestrainedly conventioneers who were obviously eager to indulge themselves in all of the vices that Las Vegas might offer

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of indulged
Adjective
But the partner being indulged will be none the wiser to the other’s true feelings. Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Verb
When Maserati brought me back, exhilaration turned to fixation, which Weiss happily indulged by bringing me back for a third time to be coached by Rod Macleod. Lilian Raji, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026 In Salzburg, Dudamel indulged the Vienna Philharmonic’s incomparable lushness, those plush strings, glowing winds, golden brass, voluminous timpani. Classical Music Critic, Los Angeles Times, 5 Aug. 2026 Night Seven indulged Bon Jovi’s love for sports, with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and tennis legend John McEnroe mingling backstage. Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 28 July 2026 Within the home, the dogs were indulged to an unusual degree, holding status as nearly full members of the family. Literary Hub, 10 July 2026 Portugal, as our crew wrote, indulged Ronaldo and paid the price. Chris Branch, New York Times, 7 July 2026 At the same time, centrists swung against a left that had indulged its purist tendencies. Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 27 June 2026 This ideal of masculinity is not a patriarch but a perpetual adolescent, endlessly irresponsible and endlessly indulged. Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 5 June 2026 Perhaps the latter must be indulged a bit to build a platform for the former—forests sometimes need to burn in order to thrive. Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 24 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for indulged
Adjective
  • Towards the end of the episode, Abby (Hall) and Andrew Borden (Hunnam) get very sick after eating spoiled oysters — projectile vomiting and soiling their undergarments in the dining room.
    Marina Watts, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Sep. 2026
  • None of its marks seem to maintain their integrity for more than an inch or two without being fretted or spoiled.
    Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Even House Speaker Mike Johnson, who otherwise has humored Trump at every turn, has expressed revulsion at the idea of a pardon.
    Robin Abcarian, Mercury News, 29 Oct. 2025
  • The actor then humored the crowd with an impression of the old Hollywood mogul recounting his pursuits of a beautiful woman in the Paramount commissary.
    Andrew McGowan, Variety, 16 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Wall Street climbed to the edge of its all-time high on Monday, and stocks rallied worldwide after oil prices and yields in the bond market surrendered their market-rattling gains from last week.
    Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026
  • In any event, Congress surrendered its jurisdiction over such matters to corporations decades ago.
    Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Plastic water bottles pile up at shrines to Difunta Correa, who legend says miraculously nursed her infant son after dying of thirst in the desert.
    ABC News, ABC News, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Eli wore skateboard shoes and nursed a giant bottle of Diet Mountain Dew.
    Harvard Business Review, Harvard Business Review, 3 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • But whereas The Holdovers’s Paul Hunham despises his lazy, pampered students, The Debut’s Jerry Blankenbuehler has a determination to summon theatrical magic out of his meager cast.
    Joe Reid, Vulture, 21 Sep. 2026
  • When they were painted, they were drenched in all the promise and privilege of a pampered girlhood.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 July 2026
Verb
  • And when the jury verdict came, he was relieved and gratified.
    Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Although Roberts is presumably gratified, too, history’s little joke is that the President currently enjoying this generous new interpretation of his powers is surely not the mannerly, norm-abiding Republican Roberts had in mind decades ago.
    Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The Department of Financial Services periodically holds unclaimed property auctions, where abandoned safe deposit box contents are auctioned by the Division of Unclaimed Property, the state said.
    Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2026
  • One of those vehicles was found abandoned and engulfed in flames near Detroit Avenue.
    Dan Raby, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Around the halfway point of Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard, Petya Trofimov — eternal grad student, moral purist, and former tutor to the once wealthy family whose diminution sits at the heart of the play — makes a speech.
    Sara Holdren, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
  • When a wealthy, royal woman is attacked by bandits, the two men save her and are welcomed to the castle as valiant knights.
    Jourdain Searles, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Indulged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/indulged. Accessed 23 Sep. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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