Meaning & use
excessive indulgence
Last updated
Meanings
phraseuncountable
The act of allowing yourself too much of something enjoyable, especially food, drink, or pleasure.
Grammar: Used as an uncountable noun phrase; it does not take a/an or a plural form in this sense.
Patterns
- excessive indulgence in something
- a life of excessive indulgence
His doctor warned that excessive indulgence in fatty foods was harming his heart.
The holiday was a time of excessive indulgence, with rich meals and late nights.
She blamed her weight gain on excessive indulgence during the winter months.
phrasecountable
A particular act of giving in to a desire too much, often one that is criticized.
Grammar: Can be used with a/an or in the plural when referring to specific instances: an excessive indulgence, excessive indulgences.
Patterns
- an excessive indulgence
- excessive indulgences
Buying that expensive car was an excessive indulgence he soon regretted.
The priest listed excessive indulgences such as gambling and overeating.
She saw her daily visits to the spa as harmless excessive indulgences.
Common combinations
- excessive indulgence in
- Excessive indulgence in alcohol can lead to serious health problems.
- guilty of excessive indulgence
- He was often guilty of excessive indulgence when it came to desserts.
- avoid excessive indulgence
- Nutritionists advise people to avoid excessive indulgence during holidays.
- a moment of excessive indulgence
- A moment of excessive indulgence at the party left him feeling sick.
Synonyms and how they differ
- overindulgence
- A single word that is more common and slightly more formal; it often focuses on the habit rather than a single act.
- intemperance
- A very formal word meaning lack of moderation, often used in older texts about alcohol.
- excess
- A broader word meaning too much of anything; it does not always suggest pleasure or enjoyment.
Opposites
Word family
- indulge verb
- To allow yourself or someone else to have something enjoyable, often too much.
- indulgent adjective
- Willing to let someone have what they want, often too easily.
- indulgence noun
- The act of allowing yourself something enjoyable; can be countable or uncountable.
Commonly confused: excessive indulgence or excess?
excessive indulgence vs excess
Excess means simply 'too much' and is not necessarily about enjoyment; excessive indulgence always involves pleasure or gratification.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'excessive indulgence' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Option B correctly uses the phrase as an uncountable noun with 'in'. Option An is wrong because 'indulgence in yoga' is not typical and 'practiced' does not fit. Option C uses a plural verb with an uncountable phrase. Option D uses the phrase as a verb, which is incorrect.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “excessive indulgence”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.