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:
If he does make it to Chiclayo, the pope will be able to indulge his famously sweet tooth with an array of goodies fashioned in his likeness.
From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026
“I was deeply skeptical, but figured, all right, I will indulge him because I like Rob. We’ll see what happens.”
From Salon ● Oct. 10, 2026
Their price and size mean she and her husband can indulge a little more freely.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
The younger players indulge in playful kick-ups as he watches, engaged in conversation with a member of staff.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
“I regret that I cannot indulge your childish whims, but I refuse to pity you in the manner to which you are well accustomed.”
From "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green
If there’s a flaw, Mr. Anderson occasionally indulges in excessive adjectives and metaphors, but that takes nothing away from his accomplishment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 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
Writer-director Bart Layton sprinkles the film with inviting overhead shots of L.A. traffic flowing smoothly, which is to say he indulges a fantasy to rival anything in “Thor.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 12, 2026
"If a party worker indulges in hate speech or a hate crime, the ruling party may not sanction prosecution. Under this law, the government cannot intervene," the official said.
From BBC ● Jan. 6, 2026
The idea is so appealing that she briefly indulges in one of those fantasies that momentarily feels real.
From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti
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
Everyone indulged in prodigious scenery-chewing, eschewing any subtlety that Puccini built into this tear-jerking piece in favor of all-around bludgeoning.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
Growing up in a small Southwestern town as an only child, Erika’s summers were neither good nor bad, neither deprived nor indulged.
From Salon ● Jun. 24, 2026
A stable is secured, and the mare, who senses that something strange is going on, is indulged with apples and caresses.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 21, 2026
This practice, however, was strictly against regulations and one job of the prefect was to take down the names of students who indulged in it.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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
Even indulging the fiction that the addendum is a contract, contracts require parties, consideration, and terms that hold still.
From Slate ● Aug. 10, 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
That they wanted to eliminate him for indulging in “Lawful Union Activities.”
From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
