indulge
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
to allow yourself to have or do something that you enjoy, even if it is a bit bad for you.
to allow oneself to enjoy a particular pleasure, typically one that is considered a luxury or a minor vice.
Simple“After a long week at work, she decided to indulge in a expensive spa treatment.”
In context“The vacationers spent the afternoon indulging in local delicacies and vintage wines at the seaside bistro.”
UsageOften used with the preposition 'in' followed by a noun or gerund.
Teacher's tipLearners often confuse this with 'treat'. While 'treat' is a simple gift, 'indulge' suggests a deeper surrender to a craving or habit.
PitfallI indulged to a piece of cake. I indulged in a piece of cake.When you enjoy a specific thing, use the preposition 'in' after indulge.
- 02 C1 Advanced
to let someone have whatever they want, even if it is not good for their character.
to yield to the wishes or whims of another person, often to an excessive degree.
Simple“The grandparents tend to indulge the children with too many toys and sweets.”
In context“The king's advisors were careful not to indulge his every whim, fearing his erratic temper would destabilise the court.”
UsageTransitive; takes a direct object representing the person being indulged.
Teacher's tipIn this sense, the word is often used by parents or teachers to describe 'spoiling' a child.
Antonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
to give in to a feeling or a habit instead of stopping it.
to give way to a habit, emotion, or temptation rather than restraining it.
Simple“He indulged his curiosity and opened the old letter.”
In context“She allowed herself a moment to indulge her grief before returning to the demands of the funeral arrangements.”
UsageTransitive; the object is usually an abstract noun like 'curiosity' or 'grief'.
Teacher's tipThis sense is more abstract than eating or shopping; it is about letting a mental state take over.
“They can also tap directly into our shadow selves, serving as the ultimate canvas for the toxic romantic tropes we secretly indulge in on screen.”
“But it is a quiet afternoon in August – so let’s indulge in a hypothetical.”
From Latin indulgeō (“to indulge”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.