intransitive verb

• 1Allow oneself to enjoy the pleasure of.

  ‘we indulged in some hot fudge sundaes’

  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

  View synonyms

  1. 1.1Become 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

     View synonyms
  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

     View synonyms
  4. 1.4with object Allow (someone) to enjoy a desired pleasure.
     ‘I spent time indulging myself with secret feasts’
     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

     View synonyms