guilty pleasure

Meaning

A 'guilty pleasure' is something you enjoy even though it is not generally held in high regard, or might be considered embarrassing. It is commonly used for cheesy movies, reality TV shows, or pop music. The tone is lighthearted and self-deprecating, not actually expressing real guilt or shame.

Examples

• I know reality TV is trash, but watching dating shows is my ultimate guilty pleasure.

  I know reality TV is trash, but watching dating shows is my ultimate guilty pleasure.

• Listening to 90s boy bands is a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine.

  Listening to 90s boy bands is a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine.

• Eating a whole tub of ice cream while watching cheesy rom-coms is my favorite guilty pleasure.

  Eating a whole tub of ice cream while watching cheesy rom-coms is my favorite guilty pleasure.

• He pretends to only like highbrow cinema, but his guilty pleasure is cheesy action movies.

  He pretends to only like highbrow cinema, but his guilty pleasure is cheesy action movies.

• We all have our guilty pleasures, and mine is definitely reading celebrity gossip magazines.

  We all have our guilty pleasures, and mine is definitely reading celebrity gossip magazines.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ I feel a guilty pleasure when I eat chocolate.

  ✓ Eating chocolate is my guilty pleasure.

  'Guilty pleasure' is a noun phrase representing the activity or item itself, not a feeling you 'feel' directly as an adjective.

• ✗ That movie is my guilty play.

  ✓ That movie is my guilty pleasure.

  Learners sometimes confuse 'pleasure' with 'play' or 'enjoyment'. The fixed idiom is always 'guilty pleasure'.

Related Expressions

Practice

• I don't usually tell people, but watching cheesy soap operas is my ___.

  💡 Something you enjoy but feel a bit embarrassed to admit.

  Show answer

  guilty pleasure

• Everyone has a ___ they secretly enjoy when they are home alone.

  💡 A two-word phrase for an embarrassing favorite thing.

  Show answer

  guilty pleasure