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Indulgent

Tending to be lenient or permissive; inclined to indulge others' desires or interests, often pampering them.

adjective

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Imagine This

Imagine a parent at a birthday party who says yes to every request—more toys, more treats, more games—until the child is surrounded by gifts and hardly ever says 'please' or 'thank you' anymore.

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Sounds Like

in-DUHL-juhnt

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Looks Like

indulgence; indulge

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Remember This

Indulgent describes a temperament or policy that yields to desires; it can be positive (kind, tolerant) or negative (spoiling). It is related to indulgence and indulgent behaviors.

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Other Forms

indulgencenoun

indulgeverb

indulgentlyadverb

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Connect With

leniency, tolerance, permissiveness, pamper, spoiling

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Note

Often used to describe people (indulgent parents, indulgent teachers) or policies (an indulgent return policy). Do not confuse with 'indulgence' (the act or result) or 'indulgent' as a personal flaw; nuance depends on context.

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Study Deeper

Examples

The indulgent grandmother bought her grandchildren whatever they asked for.
A more indulgent teacher sometimes allows late work when there is a good reason.

Synonyms

lenientpermissivetolerantindulgentclement

Antonyms

strictsevereaustere

Etymology

From Latin indulgent- 'lenient, indulgent', present participle of indulgere 'to be lenient toward; gratify', from in- 'toward' + dulcis 'sweet' (root meaning 'sweetness' that is indulged).

Mnemonic

Mnemonic: IndulGENT = IN toward DULCE (sweet). Indulgent people lean toward giving 'sweet' things and leniency.