"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.
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Working to travel By keeping her expenses low, Brewer is able to save up to fund her wanderlust.—Ryan Ermey, CNBC, 1 May 2025 But this isn’t just a case of open-ended wanderlust.—Katia Damborsky, Robb Report, 20 Apr. 2025 As good as the Highlands Course is – in particular, that bucket-list 18th hole that’s inspired some serious golf wanderlust on social media – Rymer says there’s no question which is his favorite course.—Erik Matuszewski, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025 Experiencing wanderlust but don’t know where exactly to go?—Victoria Uwumarogie, Essence, 1 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for wanderlust
Word History
Etymology
German, from wandern to wander + Lust desire, pleasure
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