guilty pleasure

noun

: something pleasurable that induces a usually minor feeling of guilt

Examples of guilty pleasure in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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In that way, watching Married to Medicine and The Real Housewives of Atlanta becomes more than just a guilty pleasure. Shelby Stewart, Essence, 8 Apr. 2025 Listen to this article Romance books, long derided a guilty pleasure, are now being loved out loud as unabashedly as the main characters detailed in their pages. Elizabeth Hernandez, The Denver Post, 4 Feb. 2025 It’s gone down as a cult favorite — or guilty pleasure — largely because of Kit, who becomes a three-dimensional character thanks to the budding star who brings her to life. Megan Vick, EW.com, 1 Mar. 2025 Centered around the drama of New York City’s elite during the 1880s—and the rapidly changing social and economic landscape of the post-Civil War era—the show serves up plenty of glamour, grandeur, and guilty pleasure. Radhika Seth, Vogue, 9 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for guilty pleasure

Word History

First Known Use

1907, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of guilty pleasure was in 1907

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Cite this Entry

“Guilty pleasure.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/guilty%20pleasure. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

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