wanderlust

wanderlust
noun
wan·;der·;lust ;w;n-d;r-;l;st
: 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 C;vennes, "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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Thailand, in particular, is seeing a surge in popularity thanks to the success of shows like The White Lotus, which has sparked wanderlust for the country’s beaches and bustling cities.
—Caroline Tell, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025
As a travel editor with a frequent case of wanderlust, my vacation bucket list is seemingly never ending.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 28 Dec. 2024
In Central and Latin America, those with wanderlust take a stroll with their luggage around the block or put their suitcases in the middle of a room for others to walk around, which is considered a way of attracting good travel for the year ahead.
—Gia Yetikyel, Vogue, 21 Dec. 2024
Siege of Dawn may lead with skull-piercing combat, but what lingers in the mind is its undeniable and unusual approach to cultivating wanderlust.
—Lewis Gordon, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2024

Word History
Etymology
German, from wandern to wander + Lust desire, pleasure

First Known Use
1875, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of wanderlust was in 1875
See more words from the same year