wanderlust

noun

wan·​der·​lust ˈwän-dər-ˌləst 

: strong longing for or impulse toward wandering

Did you know?

Wanderlust Has German Roots

"For my part," writes Robert Louis Stevenson in Travels with a Donkey in the Cévennes, "I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move..." Sounds like a case of wanderlust if we ever heard one. Those with wanderlust don't necessarily need to go anywhere in particular; they just don't care to stay in one spot. The etymology of wanderlust is a very simple one that you can probably figure out yourself. Wanderlust is a lust for wandering. The word comes from German, in which wandern means "to wander, hike, or stray" and Lust means "pleasure" or "desire."

Examples of wanderlust in a Sentence

Wanderlust has led him to many different parts of the world.

Recent Examples on the Web

Combine this wanderlust with increasingly abnormal weather patterns and rapidly warming ocean waters, and sightings of these tropical birds can increase. — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 6 Aug. 2026

Most of the album proceeds at a lazy ramble, a blend of the comforting countrypolitian and the folky wanderlust of the progressive country of the late ’60s. — Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Pitchfork, 1 Aug. 2026

Modeled after a sense of wanderlust and cultural traditions, the beverage program features flavor profiles from not only France but around the globe, including Japan. — Carissa Chesanek, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026

The term instead invokes a journey marked by swashbuckling adventure, romantic wanderlust and wide-eyed curiosity. — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 23 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

German, from wandern to wander + Lust desire, pleasure

First Known Use

1875, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for wanderlust

• antitrust
• overthrust
• readjust
• unitrust
• adjust
• combust
• discussed
• disgust
• distrust
• entrust
• intrust
• mistrust

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!

Kids Definition

wanderlust

noun

wan·​der·​lust ˈwän-dər-ˌləst 

: strong longing to travel