1
: usually intense or unbridled sexual desire : lasciviousness
He was motivated more by lust than by love.
2
a
: an intense longing : craving
a lust to succeed
b
: enthusiasm, eagerness
admired his lust for life
lusted; lusting; lusts
: to have an intense desire or need : crave
specifically
: to have a sexual urge
Synonyms
Noun
Verb
Examples of lust in a Sentence
Noun
He was consumed by lust.
He was driven by a lust for power.
Lust for chocolate drew her into the candy store.
Verb
I'm lusting after that new SUV
Recent Examples on the Web
Freya Drohan, Vogue, 25 June 2024
Biden and the Left’s lust for power and assaults on democracy are despicable and must be defeated at the ballot box.
—Brittany Carloni, The Indianapolis Star, 30 May 2024
Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 4 Aug. 2024
Alas, Astrov and Vanya are both lusting after Elena (Rose), the knockout younger wife of Alexander (Alfred Molina), an ailing professor who owns the countryside manor.
—Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 26 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for lust 
Noun
This joie de vivre, coupled with a uniquely Australian lust for having fun and looking good while doing it, has shaped the Zimmermann label, which sisters Nicky and Simone founded in 1991.
—Freya Drohan, Vogue, 25 June 2024
Biden and the Left’s lust for power and assaults on democracy are despicable and must be defeated at the ballot box.
—Brittany Carloni, The Indianapolis Star, 30 May 2024
Verb
Julian Haig plays the character L.B., who is a lustful kind of guy who finds himself being lusted after by death as well.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 4 Aug. 2024
Alas, Astrov and Vanya are both lusting after Elena (Rose), the knockout younger wife of Alexander (Alfred Molina), an ailing professor who owns the countryside manor.
—Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 26 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for lust
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lust.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Lust.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lust. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.
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