indulge

Etymology

From Latin indulgeō (“I indulge”).

verb

1. (intransitive, often followed by "in"): To yield to a temptation or desire.
   He looked at the chocolate but didn't indulge.
   I indulged in drinking on the weekend.
   Richardson took over, and Mitchell proceeded to the refreshment room in his turn, but when he came back some ten minutes later, it was evident that he had been indulging in something more potent than coffee, and he was in a very muddled state. 1950 January, David L. Smith, “A Runaway at Beattock”, in Railway Magazine, page 53
   How can the unions - or more specifically the RMT - possibly think this is a good time to exert a bit of industrial muscle and indulge in strikes both on the national railway and the London Underground? January 12 2022, Christian Wolmar, “A new year... but the same old mistakes are being made”, in RAIL, number 948, pages 40–41
2. (transitive) To satisfy the wishes or whims of.
   Grandma indulges the kids with sweets.
   I love to indulge myself with beautiful clothes.
   August 30, 1706, Francis Atterbury, a sermon preach'd in the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, at the funeral of Mr. Tho. Bennet Hope in another life implies that we indulge ourselves in the gratifications of this very sparingly.
   "She constantly faked being sick, and perhaps mistakenly, I indulged her more than I should have, pretending I couldn't tell. But I AM a teacher myself, so it's kind of hard to just let this slide." 2013, Jocelyn Samara D., Rain, volume 1, page 193
   It’s the kind of scenario Peter Sellers might have dreamt up while brushing his teeth, and some of the comic set-pieces – including Nobby’s seduction of a fabulously overweight maid (Gabourey Sidibe) at a luxurious South African hotel – allow Baron Cohen to indulge his Sellersian fantasies to a previously unprecedented degree. 23 February 2016, Robbie Collin, “Grimsby review: ' Sacha Baron Cohen's vital, venomous action movie'”, in The Daily Telegraph (London)
   Internet shopping invites you to gaze out upon the entire bazaar all at once and to indulge the merest whim November 21 2019, Samanth Subramanian, “How our home delivery habit reshaped the world”, in The Guardian
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.