indulge
pronunciation
How to pronounce indulge in British English:
UK [ɪnˈdʌldʒ]
How to pronounce indulge in American English:
US [ɪnˈdʌldʒ]
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- Verb:
- give free rein to
- yield (to); give satisfaction to
- enjoy to excess
- treat with excessive indulgence
Word Origin
- indulge
- indulge: [17] The -dulg- of indulge may be related to such words as Greek dolikhós and Russian dólgij, meaning ‘long’. In that case Latin indulgēre, the immediate source of the English word, may to begin with have signified ‘allow long enough for’. Its only recorded senses, however, are the same as those of modern English indulge.
- indulge (v.)
- 1630s, "to grant as a favor;" 1650s, of both persons and desires, "to treat with unearned favor;" a back-formation from indulgence, or else from Latin indulgere "to be complaisant." Related: Indulged; indulging.
Example
- 1. Both rich and poor have special reason to indulge .
- 2. Yet it would be a mistake to indulge in cynicism .
- 3. Sex is a mystery-and not just to those who indulge in it .
- 4. What 's worse , most have borrowed to indulge in such short-sighted behaviour .
- 5. So they 're more likely to indulge .