lust
nounverbcommon in dialogue
- United States//ˈlʌst//
- //ˈlʊst//
- //ˈlɜst//
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
archaicA general want or longing, not necessarily sexual.
The boarders hide their lust to go home.
For little luſt had ſhe to talke of ought, […]
[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 deuotion is little, my ioy none at all: Gods face is hid, and I am troubled.
- 3
archaicA 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.
- 4
obsoleteVirility; 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; […]
Etymology
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.
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 precepts of God: […]
- 2
archaicTo desire.
And I ſaye vnto you that helias ys come alredy / and they knewe hym nott: butt have done vnto him whatſoever they luſted.
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 / […]
Wherof he that luſte to ſee examples, let hym ſearch theyꝛ lyues. […] If we be an hungred, we luſte foꝛ bꝛeade.
It auaileth not, to ſée them well taught in yong yeares, and after whã they cum to luſt and youthfull dayes, to giue them licence to liue as they luſt them ſelues.
Etymology
From Middle English lusten, from the noun.
Forms
- plural
- lusts
- past tense
- lusted
- past participle
- lusted
- present participle
- lusting
- third person singular
- lusts
lust · A feeling of strong desire, especially such a feeling driven by sexual arousal.
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