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

This sentiment fosters your wanderlust vibes to explore and travel. — Lisa Stardust, Vogue, 16 July 2026

Louis Vuitton is pushing its wanderlust to new heights with a fall menswear campaign set in a space center. — Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 9 July 2026

For a discerning audience seeking depth over dazzle, these debut offerings mark not just a launch but the beginning of a new chapter in wearable wanderlust. — Tanya Akim, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026

But his main motivation for flying across the world wasn’t wanderlust. — Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 8 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

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Kids Definition

wanderlust

noun

wan·​der·​lust ˈwän-dər-ˌləst 

: strong longing to travel