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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
Skylar Mitchell, Essence, 18 Sep. 2025
The new route taps directly into post-pandemic wanderlust for slow travel and authentic experiences, connecting Rome to landscapes that inspired Renaissance painters and continue to define Tuscan dreams.
—Jenn Rice, Travel + Leisure, 13 Sep. 2025
While the Irish Open was snubbed from this latest National Open status upgrade wave, the golf-mad nation’s key event remains a highlight on the DP World Tour calendar, with venues that as usual stir a bit of wanderlust among golf travelers.
—Mike Dojc, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Divorced and in middle age, Choi’s mother is seized by wanderlust, setting out for Alaska, then drifting through a series of short-term stays elsewhere.
—Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wanderlust
Cite this Entry
“Wanderlust.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wanderlust. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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wanderlust
noun
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