Lust

Pronunciation

• IPA: /lÊŒst/, /lÊŠst/
• Rhymes: -ÊŒst

Origin

Old English lust ("lust, pleasure, longing"), from Proto-Germanic *lustuz. Akin to Old Saxon, Dutch lust, Old Frisian, Old High German, German Lust, & Swedish lust, Danish lyst & Icelandic lyst, Old Norse losti, Gothic lustus, and perhaps to Sanskrit lush "to desire" and Albanian lushë ("bitch, savage dog, promiscuous woman"), or to English loose. Confer list ("to please"), listless.

Full definition of lust

Noun

1. A feeling of strong desire, especially of a sexual nature.Seeing Kim fills me with a passionate lust.
2. (archaic) A general want or longing, not necessarily sexual.The boarders hide their lust to go home.
• SpenserFor little lust had she to talk of aught.
• Bishop HallMy lust to devotion is little.
3. (archaic) A delightful cause of joy, pleasure.An ideal son is his father's lasting lust.
4. (obsolete) virility; vigour; active power

Derived terms

• bloodlust
• lustful
• lustihood
• lustily
• lustiness
• lustless
• lusty
• lust murder

Related terms

• wanderlust

Verb

1. (intransitive) To desire very strongly.
2. (intransitive) To crave sexual contact urgently.

Anagrams

• slut
• UTSL