Indulge

• POS: Verb (usu participle), Verb (intransitive), Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: in=dulge

CIDE DICTIONARY

Indulge, v. t. [L. indulgere to be kind or tender to one; cf. OIr. dilgud, equiv. to L. remissio, OIr. dligeth, equiv. to L. lex, Goth. dulgs debt.].

•  To be complacent toward; to give way to; not to oppose or restrain  [1913 Webster]

  "Hope in another life implies that we indulge ourselves in the gratifications of this very sparingly."  [1913 Webster]
•  To grant as by favor; to bestow in concession, or in compliance with a wish or request.  [1913 Webster]

  " It is remarked by Johnson, that if the matter of indulgence is a single thing, it has with before it; if it is a habit, it has in; as, he indulged himself with a glass of wine or a new book; he indulges himself in idleness or intemperance. See Gratify."  [1913 Webster]

  "Persuading us that something must be indulged to public manners."  [1913 Webster]

  "Yet, yet a moment, one dim ray of light
  Indulge, dread Chaos, and eternal Night!"  [1913 Webster]

Indulge, v. i. 

 To indulge one's self; to gratify one's tastes or desires; esp., to give one's self up (to); to practice a forbidden or questionable act without restraint; -- followed by in, but formerly, also, by to.  Johnson.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Indulge, v.
1 intr. (often foll. by in) take pleasure freely.
2 tr. yield freely to (a desire etc.).
3 tr. gratify the wishes of; favour (indulged them with money).
4 intr. colloq. take alcoholic liquor.

Derivative

indulger n.

Etymology

L indulgere indult- give free rein to

THESAURUS

Indulge

accommodate with, adore, afford, appreciate, baby, bask, bask in, bay, be pleased with, bear, bear with, benignancy, benignity, blink at, brook, cater to, clemency, cocker, coddle, comply with, condone, connive at, cosset, countenance, courtesy, delight, delight in, derive pleasure from, devour, dispensation, eat up, endure, enjoy, favor, favor with, feast on, freak out on, furnish, gentleness, get high on, give way to, gloat over, gratify, groove on, have, heap upon, hear of, humor, indulge in, indulge with, indulgence, kindliness, kindness, lavish upon, lenience, leniency, like, live high, live well, love, luxuriate, luxuriate in, mercifulness, mildness, minister to, mollycoddle, much, oblige, overlook, pamper, pander to, please, pour on, provide, provide for, put up with, regale, rejoice in, relish, revel, revel in, riot in, roll, roll in, rollick, satisfy, savor, shower down upon, smack the lips, spoil, stand for, stomach, succumb to, suffer, supply, swim in, take pleasure in, tolerance, tolerate, toleration, treat to, wallow in, welter, wink at, yield to

ROGET THESAURUS

Indulge

Lenity

VB be lenient, tolerate, bear with, parcere subjectis, give quarter, indulge, allow one to have his own way, spoil.

Permission

VB permit, give permission, give power, let, allow, admit, suffer, bear with, tolerate, recognize, concede, accord, vouchsafe, favor, humor, gratify, indulge, stretch a point, wink at, connive at, shut one's eyes to, grant, empower, charter, enfranchise, privilege, confer a privilege, license, authorize, warrant, sanction, intrust, give carte blanche, give the reins to, give scope to, leave alone, leave it to one, leave the door open, open the door to, open the flood gates, give a loose to, let off, absolve, release, exonerate, dispense with, ask permission, beg permission, request permission, ask leave, beg leave, request leave.

Pleasurableness

VB cause pleasure, produce pleasure, create pleasure, give pleasure, afford pleasure, procure pleasure, offer pleasure, present pleasure, yield pleasure, please, charm, delight, becharm, imparadise, gladden, take, captivate, fascinate, enchant, entrance, enrapture, transport, bewitch, enravish, bless, beatify, satisfy, gratify, desire, slake, satiate, quench, indulge, humor, flatter, tickle, tickle the palate, regale, refresh, enliven, treat, amuse, take one's fancy, tickle one's fancy, hit one's fancy, meet one's wishes, win the heart, gladden the heart, rejoice the heart, warm the cockles of the heart, do one's heart good, attract, allure, stimulate, interest, make things pleasant, popularize, gild the pill, sugar-coat the pill, sweeten.

Intemperance

VB be intemperate, indulge, exceed, live well, live high, live high on the fat of the land, live it up, live high on the hog, give a loose to indulgence, wallow in voluptuousness, plunge into dissipation, revel, rake, live hard, run riot, sow one's wild oats, slake one's appetite, slake one's thirst, swill, pamper.