YOUR VOCABULARY, ONE WORD AT A TIME

indulgent

Adjective

IPA /ɪnˈdʌldʒənt/

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Meaning in plain English

Too ready, or unusually willing, to let someone do or have what they want.

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Pronunciation

indulgent/ɪnˈdʌldʒənt/

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Someone asks to bend a rule again
The authority is very willing to allow it
The person gets what they want

An indulgent response is permissive or forgiving, sometimes more than is wise.

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Their indulgent grandparents rarely refused a request for another story.
The indulgent supervisor overlooked repeated minor delays.

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Their ________ grandparents rarely refused a request for another story.

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indulgent — Too ready, or unusually willing, to let someone do or have what they want.

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Too ready, or unusually willing, to let someone do or have what they want.

Compare: Their indulgent grandparents rarely refused a request for another story.

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Word origin

From French or Latin indulgent-, related to indulgere, meaning to give free rein.

Did you know?

Indulgent commonly describes parents, a smile or an attitude towards someone.

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