Definition of WANDERLUST

Wanderlust Has German Roots

For my part, writes Robert Louis Stevenson in Travels with a Donkey, "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 lust (or "desire") for wandering. The word comes from German, in which wandern means "to wander," and Lust means "desire."

Examples of wanderlust in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples on the Web

Part of Airbnb Adventures, an expansion of their Experiences, anyone with a case of wanderlust can block off 12 weeks to explore 18 different countries on six continents! — Selena Barrientos, House Beautiful, "This Airbnb Adventure Takes You to 18 Different Countries in 80 Days," 18 June 2019 Over the next decade, my wanderlust drew me across six continental coastlines, chasing the elusive endless summer. — Jim Kempton, Orange County Register, "Follow the French: A look at the French influence on cuisine around the world," 2 Aug. 2019 Ed's nasty chortles project everything from abject fear to hunger, dramatic interest, wanderlust and just plain evil laughter. — Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, "'The Lion King' turns 25: Whoopi Goldberg, Cheech Marin showed teeth as hilarious hyenas," 23 Nov. 2018 Vacation time is precious — many people save money throughout the year to take a trip that will hopefully satisfy their wanderlust and tick some items off the bucket list. — Taylor Bell, USA TODAY, "Tourist traps: Why you should skip Stonehenge, Times Square and the Leaning Tower of Pisa," 19 July 2019 Check out how your favourite celebs celebrated the red, white, and blue across the world this Fourth of July — and try not to get a serious case of wanderlust (or jealousy) in the process. — Ashley Chervinski, refinery29.com, "How Your Favourite Celebrities Spent Fourth Of July," 5 July 2019 Growing up, Free People's ethereal-bohemian-wanderlust-manic-pixie-girl vibe really struck a cord with me. — Tara Gonzalez, Glamour, "I Never Wear Leggings Out of the Gym—but I'd Make An Exception For These," 18 May 2019 Mominatu, @mominatu View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mominatu Boog (@mominatu) on Jun 30, 2018 at 5:45am PDT Model and content creator Mominatu always blows me away with her beauty and wanderlust. — Maya Allen, Marie Claire, "20 Inspiring Beauty Instagram Accounts Led by Women of Color," 29 Apr. 2019 But the lights are not guaranteed even in high latitudes, making their appearance a bucket list item made only more enticing in the age of #wanderlust imagecrafting. — Andrew Moseman, Popular Mechanics, "Keep on Chasing the Northern Lights," 25 Mar. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'wanderlust.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.