# indulge

/ˌɪnˈdəɫdʒ/ (US) · /ɪndˈʌldʒ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/indulge
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. to treat yourself

verb · CEFR B2

to allow yourself to have or do something that you enjoy, even if it is a bit bad for you.

For teachers: to allow oneself to enjoy a particular pleasure, typically one that is considered a luxury or a minor vice.

- After a long week at work, she decided to indulge in a expensive spa treatment.
- The vacationers spent the afternoon indulging in local delicacies and vintage wines at the seaside bistro.

Usage: Often used with the preposition 'in' followed by a noun or gerund.

Teaching tip: Learners often confuse this with 'treat'. While 'treat' is a simple gift, 'indulge' suggests a deeper surrender to a craving or habit.

### 2. to spoil someone

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal

to let someone have whatever they want, even if it is not good for their character.

For teachers: to yield to the wishes or whims of another person, often to an excessive degree.

- The grandparents tend to indulge the children with too many toys and sweets.
- The king's advisors were careful not to indulge his every whim, fearing his erratic temper would destabilise the court.

Usage: Transitive; takes a direct object representing the person being indulged.

Teaching tip: In this sense, the word is often used by parents or teachers to describe 'spoiling' a child.

### 3. to allow a habit

verb · CEFR C1 · Literary

to give in to a feeling or a habit instead of stopping it.

For teachers: to give way to a habit, emotion, or temptation rather than restraining it.

- He indulged his curiosity and opened the old letter.
- She allowed herself a moment to indulge her grief before returning to the demands of the funeral arrangements.

Usage: Transitive; the object is usually an abstract noun like 'curiosity' or 'grief'.

Teaching tip: This sense is more abstract than eating or shopping; it is about letting a mental state take over.

## Examples

- I decided to indulge in a large piece of chocolate cake.
- After working hard all month, she chose to indulge herself with a weekend at a luxury spa.
- The grandparents were often accused of indulging the children too much, granting every request for sweets and toys without regard for the parents' stricter rules.

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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.