as in luxurious
given to or marked by excessive gratification of one's desires
a reality show about self-indulgent twentysomethings whose sole concerns seem to be getting down and getting drunk
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Recent Examples of self-indulgent
Many other traditionalists have made a version of Scruton’s critique, insisting that contemporary art reflects self-indulgent, relativistic, and impious tendencies.
—
Luis Parrales, The Atlantic, 28 Apr. 2026
At this point, Iran is looking less like a rival to the average Westerner, and more like an ally of the America First anti-globalist movement, successfully dismantling the illusion that exorbitant and self-indulgent Western foreign policy serves anything more than outdated narratives.
—Rachel Marsden, Hartford Courant, 17 Apr. 2026
Not Trump, of all presidents, an amoral self-indulgent grifter by trade and liar by practice.
—Joe Soucheray, Twin Cities, 4 Apr. 2026
On first listen, these first 45 seconds sound like self-indulgent throat clearing.
—Jackson Howard, Pitchfork, 29 Mar. 2026
In the face of such grave concerns, Alyoshka’s torments seem self-indulgent and frustrating, but his problem—whether to leave or stay—is far from insignificant.
—Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
And to go there with a critical eye and not to be self-indulgent.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 17 Mar. 2026
All of this self-indulgent whining, by the way, is going on while Pippa is supposed to be supporting Bree at her photography exhibit.
—Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 10 Feb. 2026
Some lauded Coppola for his ambition and refusal to play it safe, but the praise was exceeded by criticism, with the movie being called incoherent and self-indulgent.
—Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 29 Oct. 2025
Luis Parrales, The Atlantic, 28 Apr. 2026
At this point, Iran is looking less like a rival to the average Westerner, and more like an ally of the America First anti-globalist movement, successfully dismantling the illusion that exorbitant and self-indulgent Western foreign policy serves anything more than outdated narratives.
—Rachel Marsden, Hartford Courant, 17 Apr. 2026
Not Trump, of all presidents, an amoral self-indulgent grifter by trade and liar by practice.
—Joe Soucheray, Twin Cities, 4 Apr. 2026
On first listen, these first 45 seconds sound like self-indulgent throat clearing.
—Jackson Howard, Pitchfork, 29 Mar. 2026
In the face of such grave concerns, Alyoshka’s torments seem self-indulgent and frustrating, but his problem—whether to leave or stay—is far from insignificant.
—Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
And to go there with a critical eye and not to be self-indulgent.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 17 Mar. 2026
All of this self-indulgent whining, by the way, is going on while Pippa is supposed to be supporting Bree at her photography exhibit.
—Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 10 Feb. 2026
Some lauded Coppola for his ambition and refusal to play it safe, but the praise was exceeded by criticism, with the movie being called incoherent and self-indulgent.
—Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 29 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-indulgent
Adjective
-
Dry Goods and its sibling stores, Wild Life and Workshop, had music from former first lady of France Carla Bruni playing over the stereo and were heavy on Belgian and Japanese lines that were equal parts luxurious (silk) and frumpy (boxy).—
Marisa Meltzer,
Vanity Fair,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The luxurious-feeling moisturizer contains a ferment concentrate to fade sun spots or dark spots, and to combat wrinkles for a more resilient finish.—
Alanna Martine Kilkeary,
Glamour,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
From cheeky shots of celebrities like Jane Fonda and Arnold Schwarzenegger to extravagant, sensual portfolios of America’s Olympic squads, the magazine’s pantheon of photographers have helped to define the genre of sports portraiture.—
Jonathan Pace,
Vanity Fair,
26 Apr. 2026
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Here, the sado-sensual yearning of the Confederacy to instantiate itself through the fetishes and reliquaries of figurative sculpture is shown as hollow, impotent, all too discomfiting, and very real.—
Horace D. Ballard,
Artforum,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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But back in the 1950s, most Americans thought of Cuba as little more than a hedonistic paradise.—
Mo Rocca,
CBS News,
26 Apr. 2026
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The venue’s original leopard print carpet also remains—a hangover from its disco days and the longstanding witness to some of the city’s most hedonistic moments.—
Lale Arikoglu,
Condé Nast Traveler,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Self-indulgent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-indulgent. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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