INDULGE
gratify, pander, indulge
(verb) yield (to); give satisfaction to
indulge
(verb) give free rein to; “The writer indulged in metaphorical language”
pamper, featherbed, cosset, cocker, baby, coddle, mollycoddle, spoil, indulge
(verb) treat with excessive indulgence; “grandparents often pamper the children”; “Let’s not mollycoddle our students!”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Verb
indulge (third-person singular simple present indulges, present participle indulging, simple past and past participle indulged)
(intransitive, often followed by "in"): To yield to a temptation or desire.
(transitive) To satisfy the wishes or whims of.
To give way to (a habit or temptation); not to oppose or restrain.
To grant an extension to the deadline of a payment.
To grant as by favour; to bestow in concession, or in compliance with a wish or request.
Synonyms
• (to satisfy the wishes of): coddle, cosset, pamper, spoil
• See also indulge
Anagrams
• Legundi, dueling, eluding
Source: Wiktionary
In*dulge", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Indulged; p. pr. & vb. n. Indulging.]
Etym: [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.]
1. To be complacent toward; to give way to; not to oppose or
restrain; (a) when said of a habit, desire, etc.: to give free course
to; to give one's self up to; as, to indulge sloth, pride,
selfishness, or inclinations; (b) when said of a person: to yield to
the desire of; to gratify by compliance; to humor; to withhold
restraint from; as, to indulge children in their caprices or
willfulness; to indulge one's self with a rest or in pleasure.
Hope in another life implies that we indulge ourselves in the
gratifications of this very sparingly. Atterbury.
2. To grant as by favor; to bestow in concession, or in compliance
with a wish or request.
Persuading us that something must be indulged to public manners. Jer.
Taylor.
Yet, yet a moment, one dim ray of light Indulge, dread Chaos, and
eternal Night! Pope.
Note: 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.
In*dulge", v. i.
Definition: 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. "Willing to indulge in easy vices." Johnson.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition