guilty pleasure

[gil-tee plezh-er]

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of guilty pleasure¹

First recorded in 1680–90

Example Sentences

“The Hunting Wives” is a guilty pleasure; “Leanne” is an honest, simple one.

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The film’s narrator quotes the late Mike Davis, a noted historian and urbanist, when he says that Hollywood “takes a special pleasure in destroying Los Angeles — a guilty pleasure shared by most of its audience.”

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Greg Strause, who directed “Skyline” and founded a special-effects company with his brother Colin, agrees that viewers take guilty pleasure in seeing Los Angeles landmarks ripped to shreds.

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This guilty pleasure’s messy contestants don’t know what they want or what they’re doing.

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Her guilty pleasure: “The Real Housewives.”

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