Showing definitions for guilty pleasure

guilty pleasure

American

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

noun

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.

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

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

From BBC • Feb. 12, 2026

Fried dough has scratched guilty pleasure for millennia.

From Salon • Feb. 5, 2026

She found a guilty pleasure in the humility he had cloaked himself in since Amala gave birth.

From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023