indulge

verb

in·​dulge in-ˈdəlj 

indulged; indulging

transitive verb

1

a

: to yield to the desire of : humor

please indulge me for a moment

b

: to treat with excessive leniency, generosity, or consideration

2

a

: to give free rein to

b

: to take unrestrained pleasure in : gratify

intransitive verb

: to indulge oneself

indulger noun

Synonyms

• cater (to)
• gratify
• humor

Choose the Right Synonym for indulge

indulge, pamper, humor, spoil, baby, mollycoddle mean to show undue favor to a person's desires and feelings.

indulge implies excessive compliance and weakness in gratifying another's or one's own desires.

indulged myself with food at the slightest excuse

pamper implies inordinate gratification of desire for luxury and comfort with consequent enervating effect.

pampered by the amenities of modern living

humor stresses a yielding to a person's moods or whims.

humored him by letting him tell the story

spoil stresses the injurious effects on character by indulging or pampering.

foolish parents spoil their children

baby suggests excessive care, attention, or solicitude.

babying students by grading too easily

mollycoddle suggests an excessive degree of care and attention to another's health or welfare.

refused to mollycoddle her malingering son

Examples of indulge in a Sentence

It's my birthday. I'm going to indulge myself and eat whatever I want to eat.

It's my birthday. I'm going to indulge.

Please indulge me while I review the topics we covered yesterday.

The museum is an excellent place to let children indulge their curiosity about dinosaurs.

She bought a house with a big yard so that she could indulge her passion for gardening.

Recent Examples on the Web

In a 2018 interview with Stereogum, after announcing their disbandment, Minus the Bear elaborated on their decision to call it quits at the time, citing an uptick in life events, spending time with their families, facing differing creative attitudes, and indulging the possibility of new paths. —Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 4 Mar. 2025

As Jaclyn tries to encourage (mock?) divorcee Laurie into having a fling at the resort with one of the staff members, Laurie is visibly torn between indulging her own desires and proving her friends’ pity to be misplaced. —Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 3 Mar. 2025

In America, self-control is framed as a personal choice — a way to get in shape or prove mental toughness before indulging again. —Julie Cobalt, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Feb. 2025

Here’s how Virgin Voyages’ bet on wellness pays off for travelers who want to indulge and stay active. —Josh Rivera, USA TODAY, 24 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin indulgēre to be complaisant

First Known Use

circa 1623, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2a

Phrases Containing indulge

• indulge in

Rhymes for indulge

• divulge
• bulge

Kids Definition

indulge

verb

in·​dulge in-ˈdəlj 

indulged; indulging

1

: to give in to one's own or another's desires : humor

indulged their grandchildren's whims

2

: to allow oneself the pleasure of having or doing something

decided to indulge in ice cream

indulger noun