lustier; lustiest
1
archaic : merry, joyous
2
: lustful
lusty passion
3
a
: full of strength and vitality : healthy, vigorous
a young, lusty, growing countryHelen Harris
b
: hearty, robust
a lusty beef stew
c
: enthusiastic, rousing
a lusty rendition of the song
lustily adverb
lustiness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for lusty

vigorous, energetic, strenuous, lusty, nervous mean having or showing great vitality and force.

vigorous further implies showing no signs of depletion or diminishing of freshness or robustness.

as vigorous as a youth half his age

energetic suggests a capacity for intense activity.

an energetic campaigner

strenuous suggests a preference for coping with the arduous or the challenging.

the strenuous life on an oil rig

lusty implies exuberant energy and capacity for enjoyment.

a lusty appetite for life

nervous suggests especially the forcibleness and sustained effectiveness resulting from mental vigor.

full of nervous energy

Examples of lusty in a Sentence

the lusty young rowers on the college crew team a lusty spirit of adventure
Recent Examples on the Web Known for her long, sleek legs, smoldering green eyes and lusty singing voice, the two-time Tony Award winner originated some of musical theater’s most iconic characters. Chris Koseluk, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Jan. 2024 Second, the album balances a careful mix of power and vulnerability, one that adds complexity and nuance to notions of Latinas in music that often involve stereotypes as lusty sirens or spicy firebrands. Julyssa Lopez, Rolling Stone, 11 Jan. 2024 Alida Valli co-stars as the detached Mother Superior, and Joe Dallesandro is a lusty young doctor who arrives to aggravate her condition. Nicholas Bell, SPIN, 24 Oct. 2023 By the end of the two-hour hike that evening, three lusty male tarantulas had been spotted. Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2023 In an earlier era of the Academy, Poor Things would have been too weird and too lusty for voters. Rebecca Keegan, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Sep. 2023 The demon, however, is not so easily vanquished, and Carmen’s lusty ecclesiastical fervor is easily contaminated. Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2023 Behold the beautiful and beloved one-handed backhand, but do it quickly, because time is running short for tennis’s lustiest shot. Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2023 Many of the big laughs come from comedian Lopez, who makes Uncle Rudy a gonzo figure with a lusty approach to life and all its dangers; and from Barraza, whose take-charge attitude gets the family through one of its most heartbreaking blows and galvanizes them to put aside their tears and fight. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lusty.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of lusty was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near lusty

Cite this Entry

“Lusty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lusty. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

lusty

adjective
lustier; lustiest
: full of vitality : vigorous, robust
lustily adverb
lustiness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on lusty

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