SELF-INDULGENCE Synonyms: 104 Similar and Opposite Words

self-indulgence

noun

Definition of self-indulgence

as in complacency

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Dissimilar Words

as in gluttony

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

as in indulgence

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of self-indulgence With 17 songs and a long runtime, In Time of Dragons is a reminder that Tori Amos has never shied away from self-indulgence. — Emma Madden, Pitchfork, 30 Apr. 2026 But self-indulgence is the whole point of This Music May Contain Hope, and the album wouldn’t work at all without her flamboyant grandiosity. — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 27 Mar. 2026 That such a hefty topic can be used to create such breathless, eye-watering comedy without tipping into self-indulgence — and without robbing the film of its most meaningful drama — is practically a miracle. — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 18 Mar. 2026 The top reason people resist showing themselves kindness, research has found, is the belief that self-compassion indicates laziness or self-indulgence. — Nir Eyal, CNBC, 10 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for self-indulgence

Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-indulgence

Noun

His household becomes a microcosm of a broader societal moral decay, fuelled by detachment, indifference, corruption, complacency and the pursuit of comfort.

— Katherine Brodsky, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
But Libertad underscores that there is far too much at stake in Puerto Rico at this moment for the band to operate from a place of complacency.

— Vanessa Diaz, Rolling Stone, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of complacency

Noun

This is consistent with the film’s overarching preoccupation with greed, which here takes the form of gluttony.

— Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 16 July 2026
The bicentennial was the moment of nostalgic gluttony that topped them all, with its reenactment of battles, its old-fashioned sailing ships, and its outpouring of sappy patriotic products printed with the magic numerals 76.

— Ann Manov, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026

Definition of gluttony

Noun

But the indulgence with which Russell presents the acrobatic pandemonium of the nuns’ possession has purpose.

— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026
That mindset reflects a growing interest in experiential dining, affordable indulgences and making time for yourself.

— Ashley Lynch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of indulgence

Noun

Rather than through a cold call or email, the scammers lure them through websites offering self-publishing or vanity publishing.

— Snigdha Poonam, The Dial, 13 Oct. 2026
And the angelic youth Dorian Gray’s deadly descent into vanity and vice—ignited by a hubristic obsession with his own image—eerily foreshadows the grim trajectory of Wilde’s later years.

— Hannah Aizenman, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of vanity

Noun

When a quarrel over an inheritance revives old hostilities, their relationship comes under pressure from greed and treachery in a conflict not of their making.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026
The lawsuits, in his eyes, are simply cases of personal misfortune and landlord greed.

— Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of greed

Noun

Warmth, responsiveness, and flexibility support a child’s developmental growth, while parental patterns of inconsistency and overindulgence can spoil kids.

— Liz Regalia, Parents, 24 Sep. 2026
But something about the Ferris wheel, summer sunsets and general overindulgence convinced me that Wisconsin State Fair might just be the perfect place for romantic declarations, first dates, and altogether gushy moments.

— Anya Sesay, jsonline.com, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of overindulgence

Noun

His face is a mix of affectlessness and self-satisfaction, putting him somewhere between Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, with a touch of the Cheshire cat.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026
After 50 minutes of self-satisfaction, the hero fades serenely into a sunset that Dudamel made miraculously mystical.

— Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2026

Definition of self-satisfaction

Noun

To surmount the issue, Apple routed a flexible graphite pipe through the hinge itself to transfer heat between the two halves, thereby increasing the surface area available for heat dissipation.

— Eric Zeman, PC Magazine, 12 Oct. 2026
The years that followed were plagued by stagnation and dissipation of any peace process, regular wars with Hamas, and a heavily nationalist government in Israel.

— Dahlia Scheindlin, Time, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of dissipation

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“Self-indulgence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-indulgence. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of self-indulgence

noun

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