lust
/lʌst
/noun [mass noun]
1Strong sexual desire: he knew that his lust for her had returned...
- I was definitely attracted to females, but I never felt this strong lust for them.
- She was hurt because she was letting herself fall for this man who probably felt nothing stronger than lust for her.
- A woman talks about her sexual experiences, her lust for celebrities and the self-discoveries inherent in simply living life.
Synonyms
sexual desire, sexual appetite, sexual longing, sexual passion, lustfulness, ardour, desire, passion;
libido, sex drive, sexuality, biological urge;
lechery, lecherousness, lasciviousness, lewdness, carnality, licentiousness, salaciousness, prurience
informal horniness, raunchiness, the hots
British informal randiness
rare salacity, concupiscence, nympholepsy
1.1 [in singular] A passionate desire for something: a lust for power...
- Being a passionate bloke, Anderson has a lust for the game like few others.
- Written with a passion for humanity and a utopian lust for science, Metal and Flesh considers the status and future of the body in machine culture.
- Here's how to turn up the heat in your career, relationships, hobbies and health so that you can live with more passion - and develop a true lust for life!
Synonyms
greed, greediness, desire, craving, covetousness, eagerness, keenness, avidness, avidity, cupidity, longing, yearning, hunger, thirst, appetite, hankering
1.2 (usually lusts) chiefly Theology A sensuous appetite regarded as sinful: lusts of the flesh...
- He fully understands our human pride, our lusts, our ambitions… as well as the basic needs and desires of our flesh, mind, heart and soul.
- ‘Moral ‘no go’ areas are being created in our towns and cities for those who want to indulge their lusts.
- Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.
verb [no object]
1Have strong sexual desire for someone: he really lusted after me in those days...
- Cinderella thought it was great to be desired and lusted after and said as much to her Mommie Dearest.
- Questioned about the suggestion Day had lusted after her, MacGregor replied: ‘I can't put Robin in the category of red-hot lovers.’
- I undressed them with my eyes, the girls that I met, I lusted after them with my thoughts.
Synonyms
desire, be consumed with desire for, find sexually attractive, find sexy, crave, covet, want, wish for, long for, yearn for, hunger for, thirst for, ache for, burn for, pant for
informal have the hots for, lech after/over, fancy, have a thing about/for, drool over, have the horn for
1.1Have a strong desire for something: pregnant women lusting for pickles and ice cream...
- Not, however, because we are too strong and proud, lusting for global dominion.
- We can never satisfy our innermost desire either by lusting to be, or lusting for, a perfect looking person.
- And why would designers (in my experience, generally not all that well read on politics and/or theology) be lusting for such conversations?
Synonyms
crave, desire, be consumed with desire for, covet, have one's heart set on, want, wish for, long for, yearn for, dream of, hanker for, hanker after, hunger for, thirst for, ache for
Origin
Old English (also in the sense 'pleasure, delight'), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch lust and German Lust.