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guilty pleasure

American  
[gil-tee plezh-er] / ˈgɪl ti ˈplɛʒ ər /

noun

  1. an activity, habit, food, etc., that a person feels shame or guilt for enjoying, often because they feel they will be judged by others.

    TV shows meant for teens are a guilty pleasure many adults just can't get enough of.

    Eating healthfully is important, but treating yourself to a guilty pleasure from time to time is definitely not a crime.


Etymology

Origin of guilty pleasure

First recorded in 1680–90

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:

Share your souvenir guilty pleasure with me at [email protected] and we’ll publish some in a future newsletter.

From The Wall Street Journal May 22, 2026

It’s my guilty pleasure and helps me unwind.

From Los Angeles Times Apr. 3, 2026

Treat the Trader Joe’s freezer aisle — or your local equivalent — as infrastructure, not a guilty pleasure.

From Salon Feb. 12, 2026

Dawson's Creek was my guilty pleasure in the late 90s.

From BBC Feb. 12, 2026

“The life of a scythe would be dreadful if we didn’t allow ourselves the guilty pleasure of a hobby. Mine is cooking.”

From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman

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