verb

• 1indulge inno object Allow oneself to enjoy the pleasure of.

  ‘we indulged in a cream tea’

  More example sentences

  • ‘Their inability to retain possession allowed Rangers to indulge in the passing game they enjoy.’
  • ‘I've been enjoying the competition, indulging in brief and largely meaningless intensities of feeling.’
  • ‘I will be the only person to know that beneath my business attire, I am indulging in a secret pleasure.’
  • ‘So, in effect, you are suggesting indulging in a guilty pleasure, but in a traditional, polite format.’
  • ‘A weekend festival that allows an opportunity to indulge in all aspects of books and the arts is being held in Grasmere.’
  • ‘More importantly, food photography allows Tony to indulge in his passion for art.’
  • ‘Simply indulging in whatever pleasures are close at hand will ultimately bring one unhappiness.’
  • ‘This was the first time he saw it outside of a magazine, and sitting on it was a simple pleasure he indulged in.’
  • ‘I am sure you indulge in a little pleasure now and then yourself.’
  • ‘Animals do not overeat, nor do they indulge in the pleasures of eating the way that humans do.’
  • ‘He had indulged in day dreams and fixed the marriage of his two daughters.’
  • ‘I cannot waste my time now with the dreams I indulged in as a child.’
  • ‘I indulged in a bit of hot chocolate with whipped cream (very yummy indeed) and enjoyed a burger with my brother.’
  • ‘Climb the wide ladders back aboard the Aggressor after your dive and indulge in a hot freshwater shower.’
  • ‘This is a place to enjoy, watching the world go by or indulging in some quiet reflection, particularly on a warm summer's day.’
  • ‘They allow us, for a while, to indulge in a fantasy of futurism.’
  • ‘Another friend has always informed me that passion is good, indulge in it and get enjoyment and pleasure.’
  • ‘The theory is that the rich have time and leisure to enjoy the sun at the beach and indulge in sports frequently.’
  • ‘The money that consistently rolled past our noses saw us indulging in grand material excess - we were quite young, after all.’
  • ‘Yet the universities are indulging in this marketing company-fuelled advertising arms race, year after year.’

  Synonyms

  wallow in, give oneself up to, give way to, yield to, abandon oneself to, give rein to, give free rein to

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  1. 1.1indulge inBecome involved in (an activity, typically one that is undesirable or disapproved of)
     ‘I don't indulge in idle gossip’
     More example sentences

     • ‘The organisations indulging in this sinister activity have had a free play as never before in the history of free India.’
     • ‘Firstly, we should not allow ourselves to indulge in hype about the consequences of the disease.’
     • ‘By allowing yourself to indulge in these fears, he is already making your life hell.’
     • ‘The BJP indulged in large-scale bogus voting in these elections and that is the only reason they won,’ she said.’
     • ‘The resolution said the BJP did not have the national interest in mind and was indulging in cheap politics.’
  2. 1.2informal Allow oneself to enjoy a particular pleasure, especially that of alcohol.
     More example sentences

     • ‘I only indulge on special occasions’
     • ‘Louis didn't much care for alcohol and only usually indulged on special occasions.’
     • ‘You may indulge and enjoy some forbidden pleasures but cannot deceive yourself for long.’
     • ‘It's difficult to let go of those inhibitions because they feel guilty about indulging too heartily or allowing themselves too much pleasure.’
     • ‘Do you stay away from alcohol or allow yourself to indulge once in a while?’
     • ‘However this has generally not been a problem on the few occasions I have indulged.’
     • ‘On this day, since I planned to not leave the house all day, I decided to indulge and drink two cups of coffee.’
     Synonyms

     treat oneself, give oneself a treat, luxuriate in something, give oneself up to pleasure

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  3. 1.3with object Satisfy or yield freely to (a desire or interest)
     ‘she was able to indulge a growing passion for literature’
     More example sentences

     • ‘Jean has been able to indulge her interest in art and nature, wellness, writing, reading, swimming, and walking.’
     • ‘When I took the reins, I was able to indulge my own interest in history and start doing research.’
     • ‘But for the most part, Mann is amazed that he is still able to indulge his interests for a living.’
     • ‘You will be able to indulge your liking for cinema and music.’
     • ‘However, the British, having adequate pasture for mature cattle, have generally been able to indulge their preference for beef.’
     • ‘Ahmed spares no expense in indulging his family's interest.’
     • ‘His luck in being an actor also gave him the chance to spend time indulging his interest in foreign policy and social activity.’
     • ‘My husband indulges my new interest, glad I think for the new lease of life it has given me.’
     • ‘More than anything else, I remember how simple that life was, how few demands there were on my time, how easy it was to indulge my scattergun interests.’
     • ‘They can then indulge their particular interests, whenever they like, wherever they like, and as often as they like.’
     • ‘This is because rich societies can afford to indulge their environmental interests and movements.’
     • ‘The business community is funky and its members like to indulge their interests in the city.’
     • ‘In discussing psychiatry and the arts, I cannot resist indulging my interest in psychiatry and film.’
     • ‘For recreation he played the violin, read widely, painted, dined with the local gentry, and, it seems, indulged his considerable interest in women.’
     • ‘This is a good time for you, the caregiver, to get things done, catch up on your rest, or indulge your own interests.’
     • ‘As companies competed to indulge this yearning, they began to elaborate mass production into mass customization.’
     • ‘I can't decide whether or not to ignore his advice in favour of indulging my desire to have something pretty.’
     • ‘It was the first time he had enough land - 16,000 square feet - to indulge his love for gardening, a passion that started when he was a boy in Trinidad.’
     • ‘I hated it and I knew I wanted to be in the kitchen, so in 1956 I headed straight for Paris to work in a patisserie, indulging my love of sugar and sweetness.’
     • ‘After a year of reflection afforded by the grant, Clarke found work in Europe, indulging her love of music and opera.’
     Synonyms

     satisfy, gratify, fulfil, satiate, quench, appease, feed, accommodate

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• 2with object Allow (someone) to enjoy something desired.

  ‘a luxury service used to indulge the chief executive’

  More example sentences

  • ‘My maker indulged me in this little secret while I was still young and I used it wisely.’
  • ‘Kris grunted, ‘Well why don't you tell me about your past and perhaps I'll indulge you with my deep dark secrets.’’
  • ‘Does she feel rather dashing, a bona fide member of someone else's generation, or is she merely indulging her younger and stupider staff?’
  • ‘I smiled at her, misunderstanding, thinking I was indulging her.’
  • ‘For example. he indulges us with a discussion of his average childhood.’
  • ‘When our parents' generation indulges us and blames itself, this doesn't take anybody very far.’
  • ‘His parents, Jack and Sarah, indulged him in this obsession.’
  • ‘Whether I had fooled my mom, or whether she simply indulged me, I didn't know for sure.’
  • ‘She came along for the laugh and indulged us by taking the photos.’
  • ‘I love movies where the plot is just driven on dialogue, so this movie indulged me.’
  • ‘There are more, but I think you've indulged me enough for one evening.’
  • ‘To compensate for the harshness of his life, his mother indulged him.’
  • ‘I indulged him, nodding my head ever so often and even paying attention to certain parts.’
  • ‘And yet behind each story of a pampered auteur lurks the story of the producer who indulged him.’
  • ‘The Camorra flattered and indulged him, while the police and press stayed silent.’
  • ‘A teacher realised this and every two weeks she'd indulge me and let me write a play for the class.’
  • ‘And here I hope you'll indulge me, I'm going to break the time frame of December 1941 but for reasons I think you'll find understandable.’
  • ‘And now, dear reader, indulge me as I recycle some material I wrote twelve years ago, recounting the events of two years earlier.’
  • ‘Now you're with someone who won't indulge you at all.’
  • ‘But they mocked it in a sufficiently understated manner that, if you'll indulge me, I'm going to try to get a little more mileage out of it.’

  Synonyms

  pamper, spoil, overindulge, coddle, mollycoddle, cosset, nanny, nursemaid, mother, baby, pet, spoon-feed, overparent

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