1
: usually intense or unbridled sexual desire : lasciviousness
He was motivated more by lust than by love.
2
a
: an intense longing : craving
a lust to succeed
b
: enthusiasm, eagerness
admired his lust for life
lusted; lusting; lusts
: to have an intense desire or need : crave
specifically
: to have a sexual urge
Synonyms
Noun
Verb
Examples of lust in a Sentence
Noun
He was consumed by lust.
He was driven by a lust for power.
Lust for chocolate drew her into the candy store.
Verb
I'm lusting after that new SUV
Recent Examples on the Web
Paula Conway, Forbes, 9 Oct. 2024
Rome is led by twin emperors, Caracalla (Fred Hechinger) and Geta (Joseph Quinn), who have a strong lust for both blood and power.
—Lauren Huff, EW.com, 23 Sep. 2024
James Grebey, TIME, 18 Oct. 2024
Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition (32 GB) $170 Amazon Everyone on your gifting list has probably lusted for a Kindle at some point.
—Kristi Kellogg, Architectural Digest, 9 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for lust 
Noun
For luxury travelers whose lust for a good haunting is exceeded only by their need for a sound, stress-free sleep at night, there are options.
—Paula Conway, Forbes, 9 Oct. 2024
Rome is led by twin emperors, Caracalla (Fred Hechinger) and Geta (Joseph Quinn), who have a strong lust for both blood and power.
—Lauren Huff, EW.com, 23 Sep. 2024
Verb
Like Martin a decade before it, vampirism is presented as a possible mental illness, and Vampire’s Kiss further deepens the metaphor by making Cage’s increasing mania and lusting for women an extension of the toxic masculinity that dominated offices in the ‘80s and is still a terrible force today.
—James Grebey, TIME, 18 Oct. 2024
Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition (32 GB) $170 Amazon Everyone on your gifting list has probably lusted for a Kindle at some point.
—Kristi Kellogg, Architectural Digest, 9 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for lust
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lust.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to lust
Dictionary Entries Near lust
Cite this Entry
“Lust.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lust. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share