# guilty pleasure

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/guilty-pleasure
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Something that brings pleasure but is considered taboo, unadvisable or lowbrow.

## Examples

- Watching reality television is my favorite guilty pleasure.
- Even though he loves classical music, listening to cheesy pop songs remains his secret guilty pleasure.
- She confessed that reading sensationalist tabloid magazines was her guilty pleasure, despite her reputation as a serious academic scholar.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.