lust

lust — noun

1. a powerful physical urge to have sex with someone, often without any romantic fe

1.nounB2
Definition

a powerful physical urge to have sex with someone, often without any romantic feelings toward them

Example

Benjamin felt only lust when he looked at the stranger across the bar.

collocation: feel lust

The novel is filled with dark scenes of lust and violence.

Common collocations
  • feel lust
  • pure lust
  • lust and greed
  • scenes of lust
  • lustful thoughts
Synonyms
  • desire

    broader and more neutral; can be gentle or intense

  • passion

    often suggests romantic or enthusiastic feelings rather than purely physical ones

  • carnality

    more formal and literary, focusing on bodily, physical nature

Antonyms
  • chastity

    the state of not engaging in sexual activity, often for moral or religious reasons

  • purity

    freedom from sexual thoughts or actions, especially in a moral sense

Grammar Patterns

lust for [someone]

Usage Note

Frequently carries a negative or morally disapproving tone. Distinguish from sense 2 (LUST FOR POWER), which uses the same word but in a non-sexual context.

Common Mistakes

I felt a lust to her.
I felt lust for her.
The noun 'lust' uses the preposition 'for,' not 'to.'
He has a strong lust for his girlfriend.' (as a positive statement)
He feels strong desire for his girlfriend.
'Lust' often feels crude or offensive when used as a compliment; 'desire' or 'passion' is more appropriate in romantic contexts.

2. an extremely strong wish to own or experience something, such as power, money, r

2.nounB2
Definition

an extremely strong wish to own or experience something, such as power, money, revenge, or adventure

Example

Jude's lust for power caused him to betray everyone who trusted him.

collocation: lust for power

The general's lust for revenge blinded him to the true cost of war.

collocation: lust for revenge

Common collocations
  • lust for power
  • lust for revenge
  • lust for money
  • lust for glory
  • lust for control
Synonyms
  • craving

    similar intensity but often physical or addictive (e.g. craving for chocolate)

  • greed

    specifically about money or material excess, with stronger moral disapproval

  • thirst

    more literary and positive in tone (e.g. thirst for knowledge, thirst for justice)

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

lust for [something]

Usage Note

Subject is typically an abstract noun such as 'power,' 'money,' 'revenge,' or 'glory.' Rarely used with concrete objects — you would not say 'a lust for a new car.'

Common Mistakes

He has a lust of power.
He has a lust for power.
The correct preposition is 'for,' not 'of.'
She has a lust for a new handbag.
She has a strong desire for a new handbag.
'Lust' in this figurative sense is reserved for large, abstract goals, not everyday wants.

lust — verb

Word family

  • lustful
    adjectiveC1
  • lustfully
    adverbC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

Of these words, 'desire' is the broadest and most neutral — it can apply to anything from a mild wish to a powerful urge, with no built-in moral judgment. 'Craving' suggests a physical or emotional need, often for something specific like food, drugs, or affection. 'Greed' is narrowly tied to money, possessions, or resources beyond what one needs, and always carries disapproval. 'Thirst' is metaphorical and often positive, common in phrases like 'a thirst for knowledge' or 'a thirst for justice.' 'Lust' is the most intense and the most morally charged — it implies an uncontrolled, consuming, and often destructive desire. You might admire someone's 'thirst for adventure' but fear someone's 'lust for power.'

desire ↗cravinggreedthirst ↗lust ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • lust for life

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishProto-GermanicEnglish

The word 'lust' comes from Old English 'lust,' which simply meant 'desire' or 'pleasure' of any kind — eating, sleeping, traveling, or celebrating. It is related to similar words in other Germanic languages such as German 'Lust' (still meaning 'pleasure' or 'joy'). Over time, the sexual meaning became so dominant in English that the broader sense survives only in fixed phrases like 'lust for life' (a strong enthusiasm for living).