indulgence

indulgence — 名詞

1. Letting yourself enjoy a pleasure or treat even though you know it may not be he

1.名詞B2
釋義

放縱；享樂

允許自己享受不該做的事

Letting yourself enjoy a pleasure or treat even though you know it may not be healthy, necessary, or wise — for instance, spending a whole afternoon reading a novel when you have chores waiting.

例句

Mateo's only indulgence was a weekly chess game with his neighbor, deadlines or not.

Mateo 唯一放縱自己的事，就是每週和鄰居下一盤西洋棋，即使有截稿壓力也照做不誤。

possessive + 'only' + indulgence: a person's sole treat

Olivia decided that a piece of dark chocolate after dinner was an indulgence worth keeping.

Olivia 決定晚餐後吃一塊黑巧克力，是值得保留的一項放縱。

collocation: indulgence worth keeping

同義詞
  • treat

    more informal and suggests something occasional and shared, e.g. buying yourself a coffee as a treat

  • luxury

    focuses on high quality and expense, not necessarily guilt; a luxury hotel is not an indulgence

  • extravagance

    stronger sense of wastefulness and excess; carries more disapproval than indulgence

  • self-indulgence

    more negative than indulgence, emphasizing weakness of will rather than an occasional pleasure

反義詞
  • deprivation

    the state of being denied pleasures or basic comforts

文法句型

[possessive] indulgence

something is an indulgence

用法筆記

Frequently preceded by a possessive adjective (my indulgence, his indulgence) or used in the pattern '[something] is an indulgence.' Common in the phrase 'worth the indulgence.'

常見錯誤

❌I had a small piece of cake as an indulgent.
✅I had a small piece of cake as an indulgence.
💡indulgent is an adjective, not a noun.

2. A willingness to forgive someone's mistakes or bad behavior rather than punishin

2.名詞B2
釋義

寬容

對他人過錯的包容

A willingness to forgive someone's mistakes or bad behavior rather than punishing or criticizing them — for example, a parent overlooking a broken window because the child was trying to help.

例句

The teacher showed indulgence toward the late assignment because the student had been sick.

老師對遲交的作業展現寬容，因為該學生生病了。

show indulgence toward [something]

Devika's friends treated her indulgence as kindness, not weakness, when she forgave their broken promises.

Devika 的朋友們把她對違約的寬容視為善意、而非軟弱。

同義詞
  • leniency

    very close in meaning but suggests the person in authority had the power to punish and chose not to

  • forbearance

    more formal; emphasizes patience and restraint in the face of provocation

  • tolerance

    broader in meaning; can refer to accepting different opinions or customs, not just overlooking faults

反義詞
  • strictness

    insisting on rules being followed without exception

  • severity

    harsh or strict treatment of mistakes

文法句型

show indulgence toward [someone/something]

treat [someone] with indulgence

用法筆記

Often paired with the preposition 'toward' (indulgence toward someone) or 'with' (treat someone with indulgence). This sense is more formal than sense 1 and typically describes a superior's attitude toward a subordinate's fault.

常見錯誤

❌The manager showed indulgence toward different cultural practices.
✅The manager showed tolerance toward different cultural practices.
💡indulgence means overlooking faults; tolerance means accepting differences in beliefs or practices.

3. Within Catholic teaching, a Church-authorized reduction of the penalty still owe

3.名詞C1
釋義

大赦

天主教免除罪過暫罰的制度

Within Catholic teaching, a Church-authorized reduction of the penalty still owed for sins already confessed and absolved — earned through prayer, charitable deeds, or a papal decree.

例句

In medieval times, many Christians bought indulgences hoping to reduce their time in purgatory.

中世紀時期，許多基督徒購買贖罪券，希望減少在煉獄的時間。

The priest said indulgences could be gained by praying or visiting a holy place.

神父說，透過祈禱或參訪聖地就能獲得大赦。

passive: indulgence could be gained by [action]

同義詞
  • absolution

    the forgiveness of sin itself through confession, not the remission of punishment

  • remission

    a more general term for cancellation of a debt or penalty; not specific to Catholic theology

文法句型

gain/receive an indulgence

grant an indulgence

plenary indulgence

用法筆記

Distinguish from 'absolution' (the forgiveness of guilt through confession). An indulgence concerns the temporal punishment that remains even after absolution has been granted. This sense is almost entirely confined to Catholic theology and church history.