What does lust mean?
Lust is a word for an intense, compelling desire, most often a sexual passion but also a powerful appetite for knowledge, power, money, adventure, or achievement. Its figurative uses often suggest a craving so strong that it can influence judgment or behavior: a person may speak of a lust for learning or a lust for control. The word can be descriptive, as when discussing attraction or motivation, but it can also carry negative moral overtones, particularly in religious writing and discussions of sexual behavior. Compared with the broader term “desire,” lust usually implies greater force and emotional or physical intensity. It is also commonly used in the verb phrase “lust after,” meaning to want something intensely, and is especially effective in literary and rhetorical contexts.
Strong or passionate sexual desire, or an intense figurative craving for something.
"The letters revealed his lust for fame and fortune."
The figurative sense is common in literary and idiomatic expressions such as “a lust for knowledge” and “a lust for power.”
To have a strong desire for or after someone or something.
"The sailors lusted after the sight of land."
Usually used with “for” or “after”; the verb often has an intense, sometimes morally disapproving tone.
The plural is uncommon and is mainly used when referring to different desires or kinds of desire.
"The novel examines the rivalries and lusts that drive its characters."
Lust can describe an appetite for knowledge or power as easily as it describes physical desire, giving the word far more range than its sexual associations suggest.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does lust come from?
The word comes from Old English lyst, which could mean pleasure, desire, or appetite, and survives in the modern English form with a strongly developed sexual sense. It belongs to a Germanic family that includes related forms in languages such as German and Dutch, ultimately reflecting a Proto-Indo-European root associated with play or strong attraction. The semantic development from a general sense of desire or pleasure to an emphatic and often sexual meaning occurred over time.
Related word forms
How lust is actually used
In modern usage, the word most commonly refers to sexual desire, but it can also be used figuratively for powerful nonsexual cravings. It may sound more intense, dramatic, or morally critical than the more neutral word “desire.”
Easily confused with lust
Desire is a general wish or want, whereas lust usually suggests an intense, often sexual or passionate craving.
Like is a broad term for enjoying or being fond of something, while lust implies a much stronger and more consuming attraction.