Meaning & use
overindulgence
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Meanings
noununcountable
the act of allowing yourself or someone else to have more of something enjoyable than is good or sensible
Grammar: Uncountable: say 'too much overindulgence', not 'an overindulgence' or 'overindulgences'.
Patterns
- overindulgence in something
- a bit of overindulgence
- the result of overindulgence
After a week of overindulgence at the beach, she decided to eat only simple meals.
The doctor warned that overindulgence in sweet drinks can raise your blood sugar.
He blamed his tiredness on overindulgence the night before.
noununcountabledisapproving
the habit of being too kind or generous to someone, especially a child, so that they do not learn limits
Grammar: Uncountable, used mainly in discussions of parenting or teaching.
Patterns
- overindulgence of a child
- parental overindulgence
Some teachers say overindulgence at home makes it harder for children to follow rules at school.
Her parents' overindulgence meant she never had to wait for anything.
Common combinations
- overindulgence in
- Overindulgence in rich food can make you feel sluggish.
- a bit of overindulgence
- A bit of overindulgence at the weekend is fine if you eat well during the week.
- guilty of overindulgence
- He felt guilty of overindulgence after eating the whole cake.
- signs of overindulgence
- The empty bottles were clear signs of overindulgence.
Synonyms and how they differ
- excess
- Excess is a more general word for too much of anything; overindulgence specifically suggests enjoying something pleasant too much.
- gluttony
- Gluttony is stronger and often religious or moral, meaning greedy eating; overindulgence can be about any pleasure, not just food.
- indulgence
- Indulgence can be a single treat that is not necessarily too much; overindulgence always means going beyond a sensible limit.
Opposites
Word family
- overindulge verb
- to allow yourself or someone else too much of something pleasant
- overindulgent adjective
- allowing too much of something pleasant
- indulge verb
- to allow yourself something you enjoy, often as a treat
- indulgence noun
- something pleasant that you allow yourself
Commonly confused: overindulgence or overindulgent?
overindulgence vs overindulgent
Overindulgent is the adjective describing a person or action; overindulgence is the noun naming the behaviour.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'overindulgence' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Overindulgence is an uncountable noun, so it cannot be plural ('overindulgences') or take 'are'. It is used with 'in' to name the thing you have too much of. Option 2 fits: 'overindulgence in coffee'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “overindulgence”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.