indulge
/ɪnˈdʌld͡ʒ/verb
indulge is spelled I-N-D-U-L-G-E: 7 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 3.5 times per million words in written English, the 14,106th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, indulge means “To yield to a temptation or desire” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in indulge?
| Letters | 7: I-N-D-U-L-G-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 3.5 times per million words; the 14,106th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is indulge?
Indulge appears 3.5 times per million words in written English, the 14,106th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce indulge?
- /ɪnˈdʌld͡ʒ/
Indulge has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-indulge.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of indulge
- indulges present, singular, he/she/it
- indulging participle, present
- indulged participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does indulge mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To yield to a temptation or desire.
He looked at the chocolate but didn't indulge.
- 2
To satisfy the wishes or whims of.
Grandma indulges the kids with sweets.
- 3
To give way to (a habit or temptation); to not oppose or restrain.
to indulge sloth, pride, selfishness, or inclinations
- 4
To grant an extension to the deadline of a payment.
- 5
To grant as by favour; to bestow in concession, or in compliance with a wish or request.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Indulge in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | céder, succomber (à la tentation) , dorloter, gâter, choyer , accorder un délai de paiement |
| German | nachgeben, erliegen , frönen, hätscheln, verwöhnen |
| Portuguese | ceder, sucumbir , mimar |
| Spanish | ser indulgente consigo mismo , indulgenciar, indulgir , indultar |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does indulge come from?
From Latin indulgeō (“to indulge”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).