self-indulgent

American  

[self-in-duhl-juhnt, self-] / ˈsɛlf ɪnˈdʌl dʒənt, ˌsɛlf- /

adjective

1. indulging one's own desires, passions, whims, etc., especially without restraint.

2. characterized by such indulgence.

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self-indulgent British  

adjective

1. tending to indulge one's own desires, etc

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Other Word Forms

• self-indulgence
  noun
• self-indulgently
  adverb
• self-indulger
  noun

Etymology

Origin of self-indulgent

First recorded in 1785–95

Explanation

Anything self-indulgent you do for yourself, without thinking about other people. Enjoy a self-indulgent day at the spa! But self-indulgent can also mean “selfish,” like a rambling self-indulgent speech that puts the audience to sleep. Eating whatever you feel like, even if it's ice cream for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, is self-indulgent. Spending an entire day lying in a hammock when you have a project to work on for school is also self-indulgent. You just do what you feel like doing: in other words, you indulge yourself. Indulge, "to grant as an unearned favor," comes from the Latin indulgere, "be kind, yield, or concede."

Example Sentences

“This does comes across as tone-deaf, self indulgent and a tad inauthentic,” one commenter said.

From Washington Post • Aug. 11, 2022

It’s about clarity to an anger that can be seen as selfish, disruptive and self indulgent.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 2, 2020

Other than the high F by the Queen of the Night, anything above a High C is irrelevant and self indulgent.

From New York Times • Nov. 7, 2017

All three bands on this bill are local acts that emphasize musicianship in a way that’s forward thinking instead of self indulgent.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 11, 2015

But she came and sat in Petro's den sometimes, crocheting in the old easy chair, when he was self indulgent enough to have a fire of ships' logs.

From Winnie Childs The Shop Girl by Williamson, C. N. (Charles Norris)

Related Words

• hedonistic