SELF-INDULGENCE Synonyms: 104 Similar and Opposite Words

self-indulgence

noun

Definition of self-indulgence

as in complacency

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Dissimilar Words

as in gluttony

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Dissimilar Words

as in indulgence

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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 self-indulgence With 17 songs and a long runtime, In Time of Dragons is a reminder that Tori Amos has never shied away from self-indulgence. — Emma Madden, Pitchfork, 30 Apr. 2026 But self-indulgence is the whole point of This Music May Contain Hope, and the album wouldn’t work at all without her flamboyant grandiosity. — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 27 Mar. 2026 That such a hefty topic can be used to create such breathless, eye-watering comedy without tipping into self-indulgence — and without robbing the film of its most meaningful drama — is practically a miracle. — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 18 Mar. 2026 The top reason people resist showing themselves kindness, research has found, is the belief that self-compassion indicates laziness or self-indulgence. — Nir Eyal, CNBC, 10 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for self-indulgence

Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-indulgence

Noun

Meanwhile, Jackson is sounding the alarm over sluggish early voting across deep-red rural Georgia, warning that complacency in GOP strongholds could jeopardize his bid for governor.

— AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 23 Oct. 2026
His household becomes a microcosm of a broader societal moral decay, fuelled by detachment, indifference, corruption, complacency and the pursuit of comfort.

— Katherine Brodsky, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of complacency

Noun

This is consistent with the film’s overarching preoccupation with greed, which here takes the form of gluttony.

— Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 16 July 2026
The bicentennial was the moment of nostalgic gluttony that topped them all, with its reenactment of battles, its old-fashioned sailing ships, and its outpouring of sappy patriotic products printed with the magic numerals 76.

— Ann Manov, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026

Definition of gluttony

Noun

This recipe for double crust apple pie delivers a mix of tart and sweet along with cinnamon that is crispy, delicious and is worth the indulgence.

— Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
Key ingredients include togetherness, relaxation, indulgence, presence and comfort.

— Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of indulgence

Noun

My accommodations unfolded in a graceful series of rooms with couches, a four-poster bed, and a dual-vanity bathroom.

— Samantha Falewée, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Oct. 2026
Franchise values have compounded at 13% a year for more than six decades as team ownership evolved from a vanity project into an asset class.

— Robert Gray, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of vanity

Noun

The term has since become a shorthand for antisemitic depictions of greed and has been condemned for elevating offensive stereotypes about Jewish people.

— Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 20 Oct. 2026
These prediction market partnerships have, for some, become emblematic of what fans see as unfettered greed on the part of teams, players, leagues and platforms believed to be degrading their experience of sports writ large.

— Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of greed

Noun

The compelling series achieves a provocative dissection of it all with rare confidence without the overindulgence of distracting CGI tossed in for sheer spectacle.

— Jeff Spry, Space.com, 17 Oct. 2026
Warmth, responsiveness, and flexibility support a child’s developmental growth, while parental patterns of inconsistency and overindulgence can spoil kids.

— Liz Regalia, Parents, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of overindulgence

Noun

His face is a mix of affectlessness and self-satisfaction, putting him somewhere between Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, with a touch of the Cheshire cat.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026
After 50 minutes of self-satisfaction, the hero fades serenely into a sunset that Dudamel made miraculously mystical.

— Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2026

Definition of self-satisfaction

Noun

If not the margin of error, this could be down to thermal management, as the XPS Googlebook is the smallest and lightest of the lineup, leaving less room for cooling hardware and heat dissipation than the HP model.

— Joe Osborne, PC Magazine, 16 Oct. 2026
The years that followed were plagued by stagnation and dissipation of any peace process, regular wars with Hamas, and a heavily nationalist government in Israel.

— Dahlia Scheindlin, Time, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of dissipation

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“Self-indulgence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-indulgence. Accessed 25 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of self-indulgence

noun

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