Wanderlust
noun /ˈwɒndəlʌst/ — A strong, irresistible desire to travel and explore the world.
Definition
A strong desire to travel and rove about; a yearning to see new places and experience unfamiliar things — compulsive, pleasurable restlessness directed outward.
Beyond the definition
Wanderlust is the restlessness that presents itself as direction — the urge that says not here, somewhere else. Some people satisfy it with travel; others carry it their whole lives as a permanent low-level dissatisfaction. The German compound is more precise than any English equivalent.
Origin & history
German: wandern (to hike, roam) + Lust (desire, pleasure). Entered English in the late 19th century from German, where it described the tradition of traveling journeymen exploring their craft in new places.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The wanderlust that had driven her across four continents eventually settled into something quieter.
She had had the same wanderlust since she was twelve — the feeling that the real thing was always somewhere ahead.
Travel does not cure wanderlust; often it intensifies it.
Synonyms
travel hunger, roaming desire, restlessness
Antonyms
homebodiness, rootedness
Related words
Wanderlust vs adventure
Wanderlust is the internal desire or itch to travel. Adventure is the actual experience or daring activity that one participates in once they start traveling.
Compare this word
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Yearning for Unfamiliar Horizons
A traveler sits by a campfire in a vast, open desert at night, with their simple belongings packed for movement.
The vast horizon and the act of traveling reflect a strong, compulsive yearning to experience new places. This restlessness is directed outward, fueling the desire to rove about and constantly encounter the unfamiliar.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration