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

The latest to join that roster of wanderlust-inducing adaptations is this month’s Sense and Sensibility, a retelling of Austen’s 1811 debut novel from director Georgia Oakley. — Nicholas Derenzo, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Oct. 2026

Hersh was a curious, radical listener who dreamt of quenching his wanderlust by traveling the world. — Rachel Goldberg-Polin, Time, 6 Oct. 2026

These scents are typically only available to pick up in person in their individual city labs, but through the month of September, travelers can spark their wanderlust by ordering them online for shipping all around the globe. — Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 29 Sep. 2026

Combine this wanderlust with increasingly abnormal weather patterns and rapidly warming ocean waters, and sightings of these tropical birds can increase. — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 6 Aug. 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