lust

A feeling of strong desire, especially such a feeling driven by sexual arousal.

Noun

  1. A feeling of strong desire, especially such a feeling driven by sexual arousal.
    • Seeing Leslie fills me with a passionate lust.
  2. A general want or longing, not necessarily sexual.
    • The boarders hide their lust to go home.
    • For little luſt had ſhe to talke of ought, […] - 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book V, Canto VI”, in The Faerie Queene. […], part II (books IV–VI), London: […] [Richard Field] for William Ponsonby, →OCLC, stanza 21, page 262:
    • [T]he vvorld thruſts it ſelfe betvvixt me and heauen; and, by his darke and indigeſted parts, eclipſeth that light vvhich ſhined to my ſoule. Novv, a ſenſeleſſe dulneſſe ouer-takes mee, and beſots mee; my luſt to...
  3. A delightful cause of joy, pleasure.
    • An ideal son is his father's lasting lust.
    • Pompe, pryde, honour, ryches, and wordly lust, / Parrot sayth playnly, shall tourne all to dust. - 1521, John Skelton, Speke Parott; republished in John Scattergood, editor, John Skelton: The Complete English Poems,...
  4. Virility; vigour; active power.
    • It is reported, that Trees will grow greater, and beare better Fruit, if you put Salt, or Lees of Wine, or Bloud to the Root. The Cauſe may be the Encreaſing the Luſt or Spirit of the Root; […] - 1627 (indicated as...

Origin

From Middle English lust, from Old English lust (“lust, pleasure, longing”), from Proto-West Germanic *lustu, 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 𐌻𐌿𐍃𐍄𐌿𐍃 (lustus), and perhaps to Sanskrit लष् (laṣ), लषति (laṣati, “to desire”) and Albanian lushë (“bitch, savage dog, promiscuous woman”), or to English loose. Compare list (“to please”), listless.

Forms

lusts

Synonyms

lustihood potency vigour virility aphrodisia carnality colt's tooth concupiscence the hots lech love lust pride urge to merge

Antonyms

chastity apathy aphanisis lustlessness

Hypernyms

craving

Hyponyms

estromania gynecomania hysteromania nymphomania œstromania uteromania satyriasis satyromania

Related

wanderlust lustfulness sexually aroused sex drive

Derived

angel lust antilust bloodlust fall in lust instalust luster lustful lustic lustihood lustily lustiness lustless lustmaking lust murder lustsome lustuous lustwort lustworthy lusty squanderlust technolust unlust

Verb

  1. To look at or watch with a strong desire, especially of a sexual nature.
    • He then thought that all the sins which he had ever committed were personified, and that they all cried out against him. One cried out, I am thy lust, with which thou formerly lustedst unlawfully, and against the...
    • Quoth she, “What offence have I committed?” and quoth he, “What offence can be greater than this? Thou sentest after yonder youth and broughtest him hither, on account of the lust of thy heart, so thou mightest do with...
  2. To desire.
    • And I ſaye vnto you that helias ys come alredy / and they knewe hym nott: butt have done vnto him whatſoever they luſted. - 1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter...
    • [I]t were more conſonant with reaſon, that a man were ſuffered to take to his Proctor ſuch as he luſteth, and may beſt truſt unto of his matier, than be driven to commit the order of his cauſe, being mefortune of great...
    • I Luſt I haue an appetyte to a thyng / Iappette. prime cõiu. [first conjugation] There is no lyuyng creature that can haue all thynge he luſteth foꝛ: […] I Luſte oꝛ longe foꝛ a thyng as a woman wͭ chylde dothe / […] -...

Origin

From Middle English lusten, from the noun.

Forms

lusts lusting lusted no-table-tags glossary lust lustest lustedst lusteth -

Derived

lust after