lusty

adjective

ˈlə-stē 

lustier; lustiest

1

archaic : merry, joyous

2

: lustful

lusty passion

3

a

: full of strength and vitality : healthy, vigorous

… a young, lusty, growing country …

—Helen Harris

b

: hearty, robust

a lusty beef stew

c

: enthusiastic, rousing

a lusty rendition of the song

lustily

ˈlə-stə-lē 

adverb

lustiness

ˈlə-stē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms of lusty

• energetic
• vigorous
• dynamic
• robust
• lively
• powerful

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

There are no great surprises from here on out, though the sheer, lusty grossness of the fallout is occasionally startling. —Guy Lodge, Variety, 16 Apr. 2026

Yet as this sweeping, heady, spectacularly ambitious and relentlessly lusty set showed over its hour and half, the body is the first site of liberation. —Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2026

And as a result, the show — accompanied by some quite instructive poster art — stays true to the book’s lusty approach to ethically ambiguous relationships in academia. —Elaina Patton, IndieWire, 6 Mar. 2026

Enter the stairwell scene in episode two, in which the pair share a sweet, tender kiss after an aggressive, lusty encounter. —Sam Reed, Glamour, 29 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for lusty

• crusty
• dusty
• gusty
• musty
• rusty
• trusty

Kids Definition

lusty

adjective

ˈləs-tē 

lustier; lustiest

: full of vitality : vigorous, robust

lustily

-tə-lē 

adverb

lustiness

-tē-nəs 

noun