wanderlust
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of wanderlust
First recorded in 1850–55; from German, from wander(n) “to wander” ( see wander) + Lust “desire” ( see lust)
Explanation
A strong desire to travel is called wanderlust. If you dream of backpacking through Europe and then taking a quick spin through southeast Asia, you have wanderlust. The Germans call the strong urge for travel wanderlust, literally a desire for wandering. We loved the German efficiency of the word so much we annexed it for our own language. With a word like lust inside it, wanderlust really captures the dreamy passion travelers all share. Sometimes the word is also used for people who can't make a commitment to a job or a relationship.
Vocabulary lists containing wanderlust
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2015 Spelling Bee - Words from Round 2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The boy was never to return home; wanderlust was bred into him early.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026
At 21, wanderlust — that aching desire to escape to somewhere else — took hold of Elizabeth Short.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 26, 2026
It encouraged wanderlust as Sal and Dean traveled across the country, indulging in their freedoms and desires with almost reckless abandon.
From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2025
If the appeal of a superyacht wasn't immediately obvious, Ms Trifirò says they enable her to see the world and fulfil her wanderlust.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2025
For, no matter where fate, happenstance, or wanderlust might carry her, Penelope was a Swanburne girl, through and through.
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
