indulge

indulge — verb

1. to do or have something that you enjoy, even though you know it might not be sen

1.動詞及物 / 不及物B2
釋義

to do or have something that you enjoy, even though you know it might not be sensible or healthy for you

例句

Lotte indulged in a long, hot bath after her twelve-hour hospital shift.

indulge in [noun phrase] for self-care

On weekends, the Park family indulges in a large breakfast with pancakes and fresh fruit.

indulge in + food/drink

同義詞
  • treat oneself to

    more neutral; lacks the 'excess' connotation of indulge

  • give in to

    suggests giving up resistance rather than willingly enjoying

  • gratify

    more formal and focused on satisfying a specific desire

反義詞
  • deny oneself

    deliberately refusing a pleasure

  • abstain

    formally choosing not to do something enjoyable

文法句型

indulge yourself with/in [noun phrase]

indulge in [noun phrase]

indulge [possessive] [craving/passion/desire]

用法筆記

Frequently used with 'in' when referring to an activity ('indulge in a hobby') or a reflexive pronoun when describing self-treatment ('indulge yourself'). The 'in' form is intransitive; the reflexive form is transitive.

常見錯誤

❌I indulged a chocolate cake.
✅I indulged in a chocolate cake.
💡Food or activities require 'indulge in', not direct object.
❌She indulged herself to buy new shoes.
✅She indulged herself by buying new shoes.
💡Use 'by + gerund' to describe the means of self-treatment.

2. to satisfy every wish of a person under your care, choosing not to restrain them

2.動詞及物B2
釋義

to satisfy every wish of a person under your care, choosing not to restrain them even when their actions are unreasonable

例句

Eshe's grandparents indulge her, buying toys even when her parents say she has enough.

indulge [someone] + giving gifts

The café manager indulged the barista's every request, afraid of losing her to a rival.

indulge [someone's] every request / demand

同義詞
  • spoil

    stronger negative connotation; implies harming character

  • pamper

    focuses on physical comfort and luxury, not necessarily behaviour

  • coddle

    implies overprotective treatment, often weakening independence

反義詞
  • discipline

    setting boundaries and enforcing rules

  • restrain

    holding someone back from what they want

文法句型

indulge [someone]

indulge [someone's] [whim/request]

用法筆記

Subject is typically a person in a position of authority or care (parent, grandparent, boss). The object is a person (or sometimes a pet) whose wishes the subject fulfills without restraint.

常見錯誤

❌She indulged him a new phone.
✅She indulged him by buying a new phone.
💡'Indulge' is not a ditransitive verb; use 'by + gerund' or 'with + noun' to specify the gift.
❌He indulges his expensive car.
✅He takes great care of his expensive car.
💡'Indulge' applies to people and pets, not objects.