wanderlust
Wanderlust (noun) means a strong, restless desire to travel and see new places. Example: “A winter of grey skies gave her serious wanderlust.”
How to Use Wanderlust
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe itch to go travelling.
Uncountable and mostly positive; heavily used in travel marketing and on social media, to the point of cliché.
Treat it as uncountable: say "I have wanderlust", not "a wanderlust" or "wanderlusts".
Trace the full origin ↓Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
A winter of grey skies gave her serious _____.
Etymology
A borrowing of German Wanderlust, from wandern "to hike, ramble" and Lust "desire".
Synonyms
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Related Words
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between wanderlust and fernweh?
Both are German. Wanderlust is the pleasure of roaming and the urge to set off; fernweh is a literal "far-sickness", an ache for distant places, and is the opposite of homesickness. English has borrowed wanderlust far more widely.
Is wanderlust a real English word?
Yes. It was borrowed from German and has been used in English for well over a century; it appears in all major English dictionaries.
Can wanderlust be used as an adjective?
Not on its own. The usual forms are "wanderlusting" or, more naturally, phrases like "full of wanderlust".