Etymology Borrowed from German Wanderlust (“an urge to travel; a love of the ‘great outdoors’”), from wandern (“to wander; to hike”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wendʰ- (“to turn; to wind”)) + Lust (“a desire, a wish to do or have something; fun, pleasure”) (possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *lewH- (“to separate; to set free; to untie”)); analysable as wander + lust.
1
A strong impulse or longing to travel.
Very often we made detours from the main caravan, rejoining it at a given spot, and this spirit of "wanderlust" brought us into a nice quandary one fine day.1908, Agnes Herbert, “Death of ‘The Baron’”, in Two Dianas in Somaliland: The Record of a Shooting Trip, London: John Lane, The Bodley Head; New York, N.Y.: John Lane Company, →OCLC, page 119:
For the long trail stretched before us, for we heard the call, / Left the hearthstone and the homeland, felt the rover's thrall; / Wandered to the far horizon, sought the joy of life— / Now the wanderlust is waning, heimweh now is rife.1908 December 12, Harry Davids, Tom Springer, “Christmas Sorrows”, in Alfred Holman, editor, The Argonaut, volume LXIII, number 1655, San Francisco, Calif.: Argonaut Publishing Company, →OCLC, page 397, column 1:
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The Wanderlust has lured me to the seven lonely seas, / Has dumped me on the tailing-piles of dearth; / The Wanderlust has haled me from the morris chairs of ease, / Has hurled me to the ends of all the earth.1912, Robert W[illiam] Service, “The Wanderlust”, in Rhymes of a Rolling Stone, Toronto, Ont.: William Briggs, →OCLC, stanza 1, page 123:
They were deliriously happy for a few years, but always her soul felt the call of wanderlust.1933, “Germany [Paula Becker Modersohn (1876–1907)]”, in Minna Moscherosch Schmidt, compiler, 400 Outstanding Women of the World and Costumology of Their Time, Chicago, Ill.: Minna Moscherosch Schmidt, →OCLC, page 207:
Apart from a visit to Paris in 1825 he [Adelbert von Chamisso] enjoyed the peace of his home and of his study at Berlin until the hour of his death without any further visitations of Wanderlust.1932, August C[arl] Mahr, “Introduction”, in The Visit of the “Rurik” to San Francisco in 1816 (Stanford University Publications, University Series ; History, Economics, and Political Science; volume II, number 2), Stanford, Calif.: Stanford University Press; London: Humphrey Milford, Oxford University Press, →OCLC, pages 17–18:
If you find yourself suffering from an attack of Wanderlust, this is the book for you!1937 April, “New Publications in the Leisure Time Field”, in Recreation, volume XXXI, number 1, New York, N.Y.: National Recreation Association, →OCLC, page 55, column 1:
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An impulse to be unfaithful or seek out other romantic or sexual partners; a straying heart.
Males like lots of rapid anonymous sex. It's a biological drive. When you get a male-female couple together the male often gives up his wanderlust in exchange for the security of having a home.1994 January 24, David A. Kaye, “Glory Holes”, in soc.motss (Usenet):
I was the slapper ... was in a short piece where I was a jealous girlfriend who slapped my date for his wanderlust.1998 June 2, DoveCrye, “Face Slapping - Real or Faked?”, in alt.acting (Usenet):
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Donna was a model of TRUE "Family Values"! She tried to keep Ghoulie as her busband, but his wanderlust could not be controlled.2001 July 5, nyc, “POOR, poor Rudey!”, in alt.government.abuse (Usenet):
Etymology Borrowed from German Wanderlust (“an urge to travel; a love of the ‘great outdoors’”), from wandern (“to wander; to hike”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wendʰ- (“to turn; to wind”)) + Lust (“a desire, a wish to do or have something; fun, pleasure”) (possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *lewH- (“to separate; to set free; to untie”)); analysable as wander + lust.
1
To feel a strong impulse or longing to travel.
Yes, he probably saw a picture of the South Sea islands last night, and now he is wanderlusting.1922, Bull’s-Eye, New Orleans, La.: Associated Rice Millers of America, →OCLC, page 6, column 2:
2
To roam or travel widely.
"Be assured that we will never weary listening to tales related by one who has wanderlusted so many years," flattered Mrs. Cunningham, [...]1915, “A-No. 1” [pseudonym; Leon Ray Livingston], The Ways of the Hobo […], 6th edition, Erie, Pa.: The A-No. 1 Publishing Company, →OCLC, page 85:
It was the joy of our lives to be once more "hitting the trail," lustily as ever, Sunday last, under the brave lead of one who started the community hike here, and who, after three months wanderlusting in other lands must rejoice to find that a few brave scouts have kept up the good work here and made of us "some hikers."1916 January, “To Takoma Park—A Self-explanatory Letter”, in Elliot R. Downing, editor, Nature-Study Review, volume XII, number 1, Ithaca, N.Y.: Comstock Publishing Co., →OCLC, page 37:
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Moroney wanderlusted around the business houses, taking a two hour lunch on principle. People inside dealing and dialling, filing and invoicing, collating and collecting, debiting and crediting.1969, Michael Feld, Super Shelley’s Mein Kampf, London: Ross, →OCLC, page 168:
I went there partly because I had shown signs of terminal wanderlust – and the West Coast is the premier place in the U.S. for wanderlusting around – and partly because L.A. is such a mixture of fact, fantasy, and illusion that, as an Americanist, I felt I had to go.1992, Gayle Pemberton, “Is it Maya? Or: Notes from Behind the Veil”, in The Hottest Water in Chicago: Notes of a Native Daughter, Hanover, N.H.; London: Wesleyan University Press; University Press of New England, published 1998, →ISBN, part 1, page 23:
On a one-way. Roaming holiday. Wanderlusting.2007, Steven T. Savage, chapter 22, in Splattery, Bloomington, Ind.: iUniverse, published 19 May 2010, →ISBN, page 123: