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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
Mike Dojc, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Divorced and in middle age, Choi’s mother is seized by wanderlust, setting out for Alaska, then drifting through a series of short-term stays elsewhere.
—Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 3 Sep. 2025
Adventure is calling Fueled by wanderlust, curiosity and optimism, Sagittarius is always chasing their next big quest.
—Valerie Mesa, People.com, 21 Aug. 2025
So it was mixed into my burgeoning romantic life and wanderlust.
—Ed Masley, AZCentral.com, 17 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wanderlust
Cite this Entry
“Wanderlust.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wanderlust. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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wanderlust
noun
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