1
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
2
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
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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Recent Examples of indulging
Serge, indulging his penchant for modern art, buys a large, expensive, completely white painting, with some slightly-less white lines.
—
Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 2 May 2026
This is a hotel with romance and celebration in mind, whether that means marking a once-in-a-lifetime occasion or indulging a lifelong love of history, art, and design.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Apr. 2026
Their relationship is fascinating, and Guardiola often appears at the end of his tether, but the manager finally recognises that Cherki’s creative talents are worth indulging.
—Sam Lee, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2026
The elder Junod gave off mixed messages, abusing his long-suffering wife while indulging his gifted son.
—Hamilton Cain, Time, 3 Mar. 2026
Some people think indulging our children’s unexpectedly sophisticated tastes is financially reckless, socially absurd, or proof that parenting culture has lost the plot.
—Melissa Petro, Travel + Leisure, 19 Feb. 2026
Fans who have known little more than disappointment are now indulging dreams of seeing the Knicks win their first championship since 1973.
—Tom Kludt, Vanity Fair, 17 Feb. 2026
One thing leads to another and soon Isabel is indulging Pat’s sense of cultural superiority by showing him her spots.
—Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 16 Feb. 2026
Valentine’s Day is all about indulging your senses, especially your sense of smell.
—Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 3 Feb. 2026
Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 2 May 2026
This is a hotel with romance and celebration in mind, whether that means marking a once-in-a-lifetime occasion or indulging a lifelong love of history, art, and design.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Apr. 2026
Their relationship is fascinating, and Guardiola often appears at the end of his tether, but the manager finally recognises that Cherki’s creative talents are worth indulging.
—Sam Lee, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2026
The elder Junod gave off mixed messages, abusing his long-suffering wife while indulging his gifted son.
—Hamilton Cain, Time, 3 Mar. 2026
Some people think indulging our children’s unexpectedly sophisticated tastes is financially reckless, socially absurd, or proof that parenting culture has lost the plot.
—Melissa Petro, Travel + Leisure, 19 Feb. 2026
Fans who have known little more than disappointment are now indulging dreams of seeing the Knicks win their first championship since 1973.
—Tom Kludt, Vanity Fair, 17 Feb. 2026
One thing leads to another and soon Isabel is indulging Pat’s sense of cultural superiority by showing him her spots.
—Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 16 Feb. 2026
Valentine’s Day is all about indulging your senses, especially your sense of smell.
—Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 3 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for indulging
Verb
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Following a brief standoff, Puscasu was taken into custody after surrendering to police.—
Jeramie Bizzle,
CBS News,
11 May 2026
-
This spring, the Japanese art of surrendering to the chef’s hand is experiencing a renaissance in W1.—
Rachel Ingram,
Robb Report,
10 May 2026
Verb
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The Grizzlies scored seven times in the fifth inning, highlighted by home runs from Noah Litchfield, Zeke Munoz and Micah Mecucci, pushed across three more in the sixth and added a run in the seventh en route to a 12-8 Palomar League victory, spoiling Senior Day for the Falcons.—
John Maffei,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 May 2026
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In the absence of fridges, fermenting, sun-drying, and preserving in salt were the only ways to keep food from spoiling.—
Boutheina Ben Salem,
Vogue,
8 May 2026
Verb
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This distinction between hobbies and passive leisure is important because, according to research, true hobbies are a vital component of a healthy and gratifying life.—
Markham Heid,
Time,
7 May 2026
-
Pugh said the latest Pulitzer is particularly gratifying in light of the pressures facing the Tribune and news media more broadly.—
Robert Channick,
Chicago Tribune,
4 May 2026
Verb
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Musk is currently embroiled in a court battle against OpenAI, accusing CEO Sam Altman and Greg Brockman of abandoning the company’s original nonprofit creed of developing open-source AI to benefit humans by turning it into a for-profit entity.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
13 May 2026
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The report comes as Netflix, which is the largest subscription streaming platform in the world by far, is charting a path forward on its own after abandoning its pursuit of Warner Bros.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
12 May 2026
Verb
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Sweet summer corn, creamy mozzarella, and savory miso team up to add rich flavor and tame the heat of these zippy peppers for a crowd pleasing dish.—
Lisa Cericola,
Southern Living,
9 May 2026
-
Not just the neat trick of beguiling highbrow critics while at the same time pleasing millions of readers who don’t care about literary bona fides.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 May 2026
Verb
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Nebraska fans with seats around the tunnel spotted them, because thousands of Nebraska fans were still in their seats, reveling, the music still thumping in the arena, as if some kind of encore would be happening.—
Joe Rexrode,
New York Times,
22 Mar. 2026
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Our friends converted their 400-person reception hall wedding into a spirited dance party at their home, with small groups of well-wishers, each small enough to fit into their bomb shelter, taking turns reveling.—
Michael M. Rosen,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Indulging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/indulging. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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