self-indulgent

self-indulgent — adjective

1. choosing to give yourself pleasure or satisfy your own desires in a way that see

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

choosing to give yourself pleasure or satisfy your own desires in a way that seems excessive or unnecessary to other people

Example

Min spent the whole bonus on a self-indulgent trip to Bali.

attributive use: self-indulgent + noun

Eshe admitted it was self-indulgent to order dessert when she was already full.

it + be + self-indulgent + to-infinitive

Common collocations
  • self-indulgent behaviour
  • self-indulgent lifestyle
  • self-indulgent habit
  • deeply self-indulgent
  • rather self-indulgent
  • a bit self-indulgent
Synonyms
  • indulgent

    weaker and more neutral; simply means giving in to desires without the implication of excess

  • decadent

    stronger, often associated with luxury, moral decline, or sensual pleasure; more dramatic

  • hedonistic

    more philosophical; describes a person whose guiding principle is pleasure-seeking

  • extravagant

    focuses on spending money wastefully rather than on pleasure-seeking in general

Antonyms
  • self-disciplined

    describes someone who controls their desires and impulses

  • restrained

    implies moderation and avoidance of excess

  • frugal

    specifically about avoiding unnecessary spending, not pleasure in general

Grammar Patterns

self-indulgent + noun

be + self-indulgent

it + be + self-indulgent + to-infinitive

Usage Note

Frequently carries a mildly critical tone — the speaker implies that the person is prioritising personal pleasure over what is sensible, responsible, or considerate of others.

Word family

  • self-indulgence
    nounB2
  • self-indulgently
    adverbC1
  • self-indulge
    verbC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe someone who gives in to pleasure, but they differ in strength and focus. Indulgent is the mildest and most neutral — it simply means allowing yourself or others to enjoy things without harsh limits. Decadent adds a sense of luxurious excess and often carries a moral overtone of decline or self-indulgence taken too far. Hedonistic is more philosophical and describes a worldview built around pleasure as the highest good. Extravagant focuses narrowly on spending or using resources wastefully. For example, a self-indulgent person might eat a whole cake alone; a decadent person would eat it with champagne in a silk robe; a hedonistic person might build their entire schedule around pleasure; and an extravagant person would buy the most expensive cake regardless of need.

indulgentdecadenthedonisticextravagant

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • indulge in self-indulgent behaviour

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Formed by combining the prefix 'self-' (referring to oneself) with the adjective 'indulgent', which comes from the Latin verb 'indulgēre' meaning 'to be kind, to yield, to give way to'. The word has been used in English since the 18th century to describe people who give in too readily to their own desires.