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

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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

Angels starting pitcher Reid Detmers lasted five innings, surrendering four runs and six hits while striking out five.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2026
Gang Green allowed the second-fewest yards in the NFL in Week 1, surrendering just 195.

— Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 20 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

The video sweeps around a reveling fiefdom, showing everyone from peasants to dukes partying and getting it on.

— Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
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