INDULGING Synonyms: 80 Similar and Opposite Words

indulging

verb

present participle of indulge

as in humoring

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in surrendering

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

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as in spoiling

to treat with great or excessive care you indulge those grandkids in ways you never did with your own kids

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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 indulging And of course there’s a bookstore in town for indulging your inner Rory. — Beth Luberecki, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026 From turning heads on the sidewalk to indulging at a local pub, the London native hits the streets with a touch of British humor and charm. — Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 8 Sep. 2026 Remmick, Jimmy Crystal and Larry Lamb share an unrelenting desire to entertain, whether performing music outside a juke joint, indulging amusement with graphic violence or delighting the British reading public with scandal and drama. — Daniel D'addario, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026 Here was a doctor borrowing the language of a fast food brand while encouraging people not to fear indulging. — Karin Eldor, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026 Bardstown Bourbon Company, which is well known for indulging its experimental impulses, decided to blend together bourbon and rye and finish it in pineapple rum barrels with pieces of pineapple added to the whiskey for good measure. — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 2 Aug. 2026 On that note, resist the urge to bury discomfort by indulging, shopping or being stubbornly silent. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 8 July 2026 Will blamed Cal for the idea; Cal, Will for indulging it; both of them the other for not being the one dead. — Emily Ruskovich, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026 Chronicle is one of the best superhero movies of the modern era, subverting many of the genre’s tropes and character types while indulging the right amount of camp and spectacle (and all under 90 minutes). — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for indulging

Verb

To say more about director George Roy Hill’s remarkably gratifying thriller would risk spoiling it.

— Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Sep. 2026
In gratifying the left, the Warren Court debilitated the long tradition of opposing judicial supremacy.

— Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of gratifying

Verb

Others build on behavioral health support programs and resources for victims of gun violence, and others aim to strengthen the processes for surrendering firearms under a Domestic Violence Protective Order.

— Renee Anderson, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026
Still, there were some signs of life for Leonhard’s defense, despite surrendering 31 points.

— Joe Buscaglia, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2026

Definition of surrendering

Verb

That’s 10 games against teams that don’t have much to play for, aside from spoiling Toronto’s season.

— Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026
Read on to learn about how long chicken broth lasts in the pantry and the fridge, signs of spoiling, how to freeze it, and how to make it.

— Jessica Farthing, Southern Living, 13 Sep. 2026

Definition of spoiling

Verb

Or, the panel could do something else, confounding financial markets but pleasing the president.

— Daniel de Visé, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2026
When fully mature in its approximate 6-year lifespan, the bird’s plumage becomes an intriguing, eye-pleasing mixture of metallic blues, reds, greens and purples.

— Mindy Schauer, Oc Register, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of pleasing

Verb

Right in the middle of cheering, reveling masses was MARTA — a connective system of veins that efficiently moved the happy throngs.

— Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Mary Murphy, a young reporter from Queens, had been at Shea that night, reveling with her sisters in the upper loge section along the first-base line.

— Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 31 July 2026