1
: usually intense or unbridled sexual desire : lasciviousness
He was motivated more by lust than by love.
2
a
: an intense longing : craving
a lust to succeed
b
: enthusiasm, eagerness
admired his lust for life
lusted; lusting; lusts
: to have an intense desire or need : crave
specifically
: to have a sexual urge
Synonyms
Noun
Verb
Examples of lust in a Sentence
Noun
He was consumed by lust.
He was driven by a lust for power.
Lust for chocolate drew her into the candy store.
Verb
I'm lusting after that new SUV
Recent Examples on the Web
Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 13 June 2024
From the white cashmere swathed heroines of Nancy Meyers movies to iconic MILFs like Mrs. Robinson or Stifler’s mom in American Pie, mothers have long been shown to have moments of seduction and lust, though often caricatured or played for comedic effect.
—Cady Lang, TIME, 24 May 2024
Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 26 Apr. 2024
Consumer experts say that while the exact items Gen Z is lusting after will change over time—as new products launch and economic factors around them shift—their spending priorities are likely to stay the same.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 23 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for lust 
Noun
It’s richly made TV — rarely focused on the hunt for dinner but on something far more interesting: the melodrama of vampire existence, with its combination of boredom and lust and tragedy and zingers.
—Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 13 June 2024
From the white cashmere swathed heroines of Nancy Meyers movies to iconic MILFs like Mrs. Robinson or Stifler’s mom in American Pie, mothers have long been shown to have moments of seduction and lust, though often caricatured or played for comedic effect.
—Cady Lang, TIME, 24 May 2024
Verb
Alas, Astrov and Vanya are both lusting after Elena (Rose), the knockout younger wife of Alexander (Alfred Molina), an ailing professor who owns the countryside manor.
—Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 26 Apr. 2024
Consumer experts say that while the exact items Gen Z is lusting after will change over time—as new products launch and economic factors around them shift—their spending priorities are likely to stay the same.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 23 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for lust
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lust.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Lust.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lust. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.
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