indulge
Americanverb (used without object)
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indulges,
present (3rd person singular)
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indulged,
past participle, past
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indulging
present participle
verb (used with object)
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indulges,
present (3rd person singular)
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indulged,
past participle, past
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indulging
present participle
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to yield to, satisfy, or gratify (desires, feelings, etc.).
to indulge one's appetite for sweets.
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to yield to the wishes or whims of; be lenient or permissive with.
to indulge a child.
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to allow (oneself ) to follow one's will (usually followed byin ).
to indulge oneself in reckless spending.
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Commerce. to grant an extension of time, for payment or performance, to (a person, company, etc.) or on (a bill, note, etc.).
verb
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to yield to or gratify (a whim or desire for)
to indulge a desire for new clothes
to indulge in new clothes
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(tr) to yield to the wishes of; pamper
to indulge a child
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(tr) to allow oneself the pleasure of something
at Christmas he liked to indulge himself
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(tr) commerce to allow (a debtor) an extension of time for payment of (a bill, etc)
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informal (intr) to take alcoholic drink, esp to excess
Synonym Usage
See humor.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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indulgernoun
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reindulgeverb
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preindulgeverb (used with object)
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quasi-indulgedadjective
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unindulgedadjective
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indulginglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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indulgesimple
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indulgessimple
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have indulgedperfect
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has indulgedperfect
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am indulgingprogressive
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are indulgingprogressive
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is indulgingprogressive
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have been indulgingperfect progressive
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has been indulgingperfect progressive
Past
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indulgedsimple
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had indulgedperfect
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was indulgingprogressive
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were indulgingprogressive
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had been indulgingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of indulge
First recorded in 1630–40; from Latin indulgēre “to be lenient toward, to accede, to take pleasure in”
Explanation
Indulge is a verb that means "to give in to something," like when you indulge your craving for chocolate by eating a big piece of it. The original meaning of indulge is "to treat with unearned favor." That's why it doesn't mean the same as reward. Instead, when you indulge, you enjoy or take part in something just because you want to — like indulging in a celebrity gossip magazine: you know you should be doing something more constructive, but you don't care. When you indulge someone else, you go along with whatever they want to do.
Vocabulary lists containing indulge
"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 12–15
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Starting Your New Life: Inspiring Words from Commencement Speeches
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The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
We aren’t victims, and we shouldn’t scapegoat other minorities or indulge in conspiracy theories.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
But for now, tourists to the Central Coast can still indulge in the surf-infused city’s retro, family-friendly vibe.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
The Chicago Public Library was happy to indulge all three possibilities.
From Salon ● Sep. 6, 2026
Issa Diop: Towering figure always willing to indulge in the physical changes but this was a tough night after those two early Liverpool goals.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
But she refuses to indulge him, moving her chair out of view with a scrape on the pavement; she doesn’t want to be mistaken for a tourist in this city, she says.
From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
Ms. Day has the young writer’s weakness for showing off knowledge and she needlessly indulges in essay-like digressions on rhetorical terms and Latin etymologies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
Loyal, and not someone who briefs against colleagues to journalists or indulges in political games, he has been around the top of the Labour party for three decades.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
German director Ilker Catak's film "Yellow Letters", which is in official competition, also indulges in some location-switching, but for a slightly different reason.
From Barron's ● Feb. 15, 2026
The musical indulges her not with a smirk but with a knowing smile.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 9, 2025
Riot hops up onto the kitchen counter and Ellen indulges him with a solid behind-the-ear scratch.
From "Dumplin'" by Julie Murphy
The machine patted me on the head by noting that I had avoided words like profound and tapestry and only once indulged in telling all of you “Here’s the thing.”
From Slate ● Aug. 18, 2026
In Salzburg, Dudamel indulged the Vienna Philharmonic’s incomparable lushness, those plush strings, glowing winds, golden brass, voluminous timpani.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
Yet Owens eagerly indulged his son’s tale because this kind of thinking is now the primary currency of outrage media.
From Salon ● May 23, 2026
After her 10-hour day in labs a fortnight ago, Dani indulged her love of art - something she does to stop burning out.
From BBC ● Nov. 29, 2025
And it comes most often to the parents of only children, parents who have indulged in black dreams of loss.
From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck
And on TikTok, all the girlies are having a “Practical Magic” autumn, posting fancams, outfit inspirations and indulging in the Owens’ famous midnight margarita tradition.
From Salon ● Sep. 14, 2026
You’re also indulging in way too much intrigue.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 31, 2026
Gustave Flaubert’s Madame Bovary embarks on a series of extramarital affairs after indulging in romantic fiction.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026
Other senators were less interested in indulging me.
From Slate ● Jun. 5, 2026
The Messengers, though—there were four in the class, wearing their snappy white tunics and blue sashes—were indulging in a peculiar habit Reynie had noticed.
From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
