indulge
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
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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
Related Words
See humor.
Other Word Forms
- indulger noun
- indulgingly adverb
- preindulge verb (used with object)
- quasi-indulged adjective
- reindulge verb
- unindulged adjective
Etymology
Origin of indulge
First recorded in 1630–40; from Latin indulgēre “to be lenient toward, to accede, to take pleasure in”
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.
Andrew was a royal prince, who everyone I spoke to said was both entitled and indulged.
From BBC
The sight of a beaming Pep Guardiola pumping his fists to all sides of Etihad Stadium then telling his players to indulge in cocktails demonstrated the magnitude of this Manchester City victory.
From BBC
Just be sure the fee isn’t beyond your means, that you pay your card balance off on time every month, and that you indulge in an extra bagel when you’re at the JFK location.
From MarketWatch
It allowed him to indulge his love of classic cliffhanger serials, and he tapped Spielberg to direct “Raiders of the Lost Ark.”
From Los Angeles Times
Still, if you were hoping for a stirring redemption speech from the podium, a little I told ya so, Darnold didn’t indulge it.
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.
