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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
As for his own guilty pleasure? — Jessica Golden, CNBC, 31 Mar. 2026 This will be far from O’Connell’s first brush with the summer guilty pleasure. — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 30 June 2026 That claim sounds bombastic when much of the art world sees the headline grabbing Banksy as a guilty pleasure at best. — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 7 May 2026 What began as a post-war remedy for hunger in Japan has since evolved to become a global guilty pleasure, providing quick, affordable and satisfying meals for the masses. — Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 16 June 2026 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

Rhymes for guilty pleasure

See All Rhymes for guilty pleasure

Browse Nearby Words

guilty party
guilty pleasure
guilty/troubled conscience
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Guilty pleasure.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/guilty%20pleasure. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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