Meanings
present singular third person indulges · participle present indulging · participle past indulged · past indulged
- intransitiveoftenTo yield to a temptation or desire.
I indulged in drinking on the weekend.
3 more examples
He looked at the chocolate but didn't indulge.
Richardson took over, and Mitchell proceeded to the refreshment room in his turn, but when he came back some ten minutes later, it was evident that he had been indulging in something more potent than coffee, and he was in a very muddled state.
1950 January, David L. Smith, “A Runaway at Beattock”, in Railway Magazine, page 53How can the unions - or more specifically the RMT - possibly think this is a good time to exert a bit of industrial muscle and indulge in strikes both on the national railway and the London Underground?
2022 January 12, Christian Wolmar, “A new year... but the same old mistakes are being made”, in RAIL, number 948, pages 40–41 - transitiveTo satisfy the wishes or whims of.
Grandma indulges the kids with sweets.
5 more examples
I love to indulge myself with beautiful clothes.
August 30, 1706, Francis Atterbury, a sermon preach'd in the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, at the funeral of Mr. Tho. Bennet Hope in another life implies that we indulge ourselves in the gratifications of this very sparingly.
"She constantly faked being sick, and perhaps mistakenly, I indulged her more than I should have, pretending I couldn't tell. But I AM a teacher myself, so it's kind of hard to just let this slide."
2013, Jocelyn Samara D., Rain, volume 1, →ISBN, page 193It’s the kind of scenario Peter Sellers might have dreamt up while brushing his teeth, and some of the comic set-pieces – including Nobby’s seduction of a fabulously overweight maid (Gabourey Sidibe) at a luxurious South African hotel – allow Baron Cohen to indulge his Sellersian fantasies to a previously unprecedented degree.
2016 February 23, Robbie Collin, “Grimsby review: ' Sacha Baron Cohen's vital, venomous action movie'”, in The Daily Telegraph (London)Internet shopping invites you to gaze out upon the entire bazaar all at once and to indulge the merest whim
2019 November 21, Samanth Subramanian, “How our home delivery habit reshaped the world”, in The Guardian - To give way to (a habit or temptation); to not oppose or restrain.
to indulge sloth, pride, selfishness, or inclinations
- To grant as by favour; to bestow in concession, or in compliance with a wish or request.
persuading us that something must be indulged to public manners
1678, Antiquitates Christianæ: Or, the History of the Life and Death of the Holy Jesus: […], London: […] E. Flesher, and R. Norton, for R[ichard] Royston, […], →OCLC1 more example
Yet, yet a moment, one dim ray of light / Indulge, dread Chaos, and eternal Night!
1728, [Alexander Pope], “(please specify the page)”, in The Dunciad. An Heroic Poem. […], Dublin; London: […] A. Dodd, →OCLC
Synonyms & antonyms
More synonyms by meaning
verbtreat with excessive indulgence
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinindulgeō“to indulge”
- Englishindulge
From Latin indulgeō (“to indulge”).
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian отдавам се на, задоволявам
- отдавам се на (otdavam se na)to yield to a temptation
- задоволявам (zadovoljavam)to satisfy the wishes or whims of
- позволявам си (pozvoljavam si)to give way to (a habit or temptation), not to oppose or restrain
Chinese Mandarin 屈服, 放縱 /放纵
- 屈服 (qūfú)to yield to a temptation
- 放縱 /放纵 (fàngzòng)to satisfy the wishes or whims of
- 放任 (fàngrèn)to satisfy the wishes or whims of
- 姑息 (gūxī)to satisfy the wishes or whims of
- 寬縱 /宽纵 (kuānzòng)to satisfy the wishes or whims of
- 遷就 /迁就 (qiānjiù)to satisfy the wishes or whims of
- 放縱 /放纵 (fàngzòng)to give way to (a habit or temptation), not to oppose or restrain
- 寬限 /宽限 (kuānxiàn)to grant extension to payment
- 恩准 (ēnzhǔn)to grant as by favour
Czech oddávat se (pokušení), dopřávat si
- oddávat se (pokušení)to yield to a temptation
- dopřávat sito yield to a temptation
- dopřát sito yield to a temptation
- vychutnat sito yield to a temptation
- uspokojitto satisfy the wishes or whims of
- hýčkatto satisfy the wishes or whims of
- rozmazlovatto satisfy the wishes or whims of
- dát průchod (citům, návyku)to give way to (a habit or temptation), not to oppose or restrain
Dutch toegeven, zwichten (voor de verleiding)
- toegevento yield to a temptation
- zwichten (voor de verleiding)to yield to a temptation
- in de watten leggento satisfy the wishes or whims of
- verwennento satisfy the wishes or whims of
- koesterento satisfy the wishes or whims of
- uitstel van betaling toestaanto grant extension to payment
Esperanto indulgi, dorloti
- indulgito yield to a temptation
- dorlotito yield to a temptation
- cedi alto satisfy the wishes or whims of
Finnish langeta, sortua
- langetato yield to a temptation
- sortuato yield to a temptation
- hemmotellato satisfy the wishes or whims of
- langetato give way to (a habit or temptation), not to oppose or restrain
- antaa maksuaikaato grant extension to payment
- suodato grant as by favour
French céder, succomber (à la tentation)
- céderto yield to a temptation
- succomber (à la tentation)to yield to a temptation
- dorloterto satisfy the wishes or whims of
- gâterto satisfy the wishes or whims of
- choyerto satisfy the wishes or whims of
- accorder un délai de paiementto grant extension to payment
German nachgeben, erliegen
- nachgebento yield to a temptation
- erliegento yield to a temptation
- frönento satisfy the wishes or whims of
- hätschelnto satisfy the wishes or whims of
- verwöhnento satisfy the wishes or whims of
- nachgebento give way to (a habit or temptation), not to oppose or restrain
- ergebento give way to (a habit or temptation), not to oppose or restrain
- hingebento give way to (a habit or temptation), not to oppose or restrain
- nachsichtig sein gegenüberto give way to (a habit or temptation), not to oppose or restrain
- nachgiebig sein gegenüberto give way to (a habit or temptation), not to oppose or restrain
Greek υποκύπτω, ενδίδω
- υποκύπτω (ypokýpto)to yield to a temptation
- ενδίδω (endído)to yield to a temptation
- του κάνω όλα τα χατήρια (tou káno óla ta chatíria)to satisfy the wishes or whims of
- κακομαθαίνω (kakomathaíno)to satisfy the wishes or whims of
- καλομαθαίνω (kalomathaíno)to satisfy the wishes or whims of
Hebrew הִתְעַנֵֵּג, סיפק
- הִתְעַנֵֵּג (hit'anég)to yield to a temptation
- סיפק (sipék)to satisfy the wishes or whims of
Hungarian elcsábul, hódol
- elcsábulto yield to a temptation
- hódolto yield to a temptation
- megenged magánakto yield to a temptation
- belemerülto yield to a temptation
- kényeztetto satisfy the wishes or whims of
- elkényeztetto satisfy the wishes or whims of
- kedvében járto satisfy the wishes or whims of
- kedvét keresito satisfy the wishes or whims of
- lesi/teljesíti kívánságát (minden)to satisfy the wishes or whims of
- átadja magátto give way to (a habit or temptation), not to oppose or restrain
- kielégítto give way to (a habit or temptation), not to oppose or restrain
- haladékot adto grant extension to payment
Japanese 甘やかす
- 甘やかす (amayakasu)to satisfy the wishes or whims of
Māori whakawaireka, whakapuhi
- whakawairekato yield to a temptation
- whakapuhito satisfy the wishes or whims of
- whakawairekato satisfy the wishes or whims of
- morimorito satisfy the wishes or whims of
Polish folgować, rozpuszczać
- folgowaćto satisfy the wishes or whims of
- rozpuszczaćto satisfy the wishes or whims of
- folgowaćto give way to (a habit or temptation), not to oppose or restrain
- ulegaćto give way to (a habit or temptation), not to oppose or restrain
- ulecto give way to (a habit or temptation), not to oppose or restrain
Portuguese ceder, sucumbir
- cederto yield to a temptation
- sucumbirto yield to a temptation
- mimarto satisfy the wishes or whims of
Romanian răsfăța, amâna
- răsfățato satisfy the wishes or whims of
- amânato grant extension to payment
- păsuito grant extension to payment
- îngăduito grant extension to payment
Russian предаваться, соблазня́ться
- предаваться (predavatʹsja)to yield to a temptation
- соблазня́ться (soblaznjátʹsja)to yield to a temptation
- соблазни́ться (soblaznítʹsja)to yield to a temptation
- потака́ть (potakátʹ)to satisfy the wishes or whims of
- потво́рствовать (potvórstvovatʹ)to satisfy the wishes or whims of
- балова́ть (balovátʹ)to satisfy the wishes or whims of
- попусти́тельствовать (popustítelʹstvovatʹ)to satisfy the wishes or whims of
- ублажа́ть (ublažátʹ)to satisfy the wishes or whims of
- угождать (ugoždatʹ)to satisfy the wishes or whims of
- отсро́чить (otsróčitʹ)to grant extension to payment
Spanish ser indulgente consigo mismo, indulgenciar
- ser indulgente consigo mismoto yield to a temptation
- indulgenciarto satisfy the wishes or whims of
- indulgirto satisfy the wishes or whims of
- indultarto grant extension to payment
Swedish hänge sig (åt)
- hänge sig (åt)to yield to a temptation
Thai หลงระเริง
- หลงระเริงto yield to a temptation
Turkish meyletmek, memnun etmek
- meyletmekto yield to a temptation
- memnun etmekto satisfy the wishes or whims of
- şımartmakto satisfy the wishes or whims of
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with indulge
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
indulge. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/indulge
“indulge.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/indulge. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “indulge,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/indulge.
Source: indulge on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.