1
as in humoring
to give in to (a desire)
the grandparents indulged the child's wishes to an extent that they never did with their own children
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in surrendering
to give (oneself) over to something especially unrestrainedly
conventioneers who were obviously eager to indulge themselves in all of the vices that Las Vegas might offer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in spoiling
to treat with great or excessive care
you indulge those grandkids in ways you never did with your own kids
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of indulging
The elder Junod gave off mixed messages, abusing his long-suffering wife while indulging his gifted son.
—
Hamilton Cain, Time, 3 Mar. 2026
There’s a conversation for Nebraska worth indulging this spring.
—Mitch Sherman, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2026
Some people think indulging our children’s unexpectedly sophisticated tastes is financially reckless, socially absurd, or proof that parenting culture has lost the plot.
—Melissa Petro, Travel + Leisure, 19 Feb. 2026
Fans who have known little more than disappointment are now indulging dreams of seeing the Knicks win their first championship since 1973.
—Tom Kludt, Vanity Fair, 17 Feb. 2026
One thing leads to another and soon Isabel is indulging Pat’s sense of cultural superiority by showing him her spots.
—Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 16 Feb. 2026
Valentine’s Day is all about indulging your senses, especially your sense of smell.
—Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 3 Feb. 2026
By indulging his endless, self-destructive reserves of contempt, Doug chances upon a truth, not unlike what Oliver Stone did with JFK.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2026
The Animal Collective member’s first solo album is a personal, psychedelic trip indulging his fascination with the hurdy-gurdy.
—Zach Schonfeld, Pitchfork, 30 Jan. 2026
Hamilton Cain, Time, 3 Mar. 2026
There’s a conversation for Nebraska worth indulging this spring.
—Mitch Sherman, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2026
Some people think indulging our children’s unexpectedly sophisticated tastes is financially reckless, socially absurd, or proof that parenting culture has lost the plot.
—Melissa Petro, Travel + Leisure, 19 Feb. 2026
Fans who have known little more than disappointment are now indulging dreams of seeing the Knicks win their first championship since 1973.
—Tom Kludt, Vanity Fair, 17 Feb. 2026
One thing leads to another and soon Isabel is indulging Pat’s sense of cultural superiority by showing him her spots.
—Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 16 Feb. 2026
Valentine’s Day is all about indulging your senses, especially your sense of smell.
—Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 3 Feb. 2026
By indulging his endless, self-destructive reserves of contempt, Doug chances upon a truth, not unlike what Oliver Stone did with JFK.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2026
The Animal Collective member’s first solo album is a personal, psychedelic trip indulging his fascination with the hurdy-gurdy.
—Zach Schonfeld, Pitchfork, 30 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for indulging
Verb
-
Minutes later, officers began giving Gooden directions on surrendering.—
WCCO Staff,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
-
As the system grows increasingly confident in its predictive logic, a conflict emerges between an AI that relies on statistical certainty and humans who resist surrendering moral judgment to algorithms.—
Lin Ying-Hsuan,
Variety,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Many of the nation's 11 million residents struggle to keep food from spoiling.—
MATTHEW LEE,
Arkansas Online,
22 Mar. 2026
-
As Cuba’s economic crisis deepens and amid the fuel shortages and the blackouts, hospitals have been hard hit, leaving patients in the dark and medicine at risk of spoiling.—
Carmen Sesin,
NBC news,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Promoting such a high profile film—while also starring in Rachel Sennot’s buzzy HBO comedy I Love LA— has been both gratifying and, at times, nerve-wracking for the actor.—
Rebecca Ford,
Vanity Fair,
12 Mar. 2026
-
In the years since my first session, it’s been gratifying to see psychedelics becoming more widely accepted.—
Erica Rex,
STAT,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
For now, Iran has shown no signs of abandoning its proxy in Lebanon amid the larger war.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Since then, the larger culture has lurched rightward, with big corporations abandoning progressive signaling in favor of…other priorities.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The provocative, genre-defying horror flick boasts unhinged gore, a delightfully dark sense of humor, Madigan as the creepiest aunt ever, and a crowd-pleasing finale.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Early reviews suggest a crowd-pleasing spectacle and likely box-office juggernaut.—
Anne Thompson,
IndieWire,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Our friends converted their 400-person reception hall wedding into a spirited dance party at their home, with small groups of well-wishers, each small enough to fit into their bomb shelter, taking turns reveling.—
Michael M. Rosen,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Indulging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/indulging. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
