# lust

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈlʌst/ · frequency rank #10,882

## Definitions
1. A feeling of strong desire, especially such a feeling driven by sexual arousal.
2. A general want or longing, not necessarily sexual.
3. A delightful cause of joy, pleasure.
4. Virility; vigour; active power.

## 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.

## Easily confused with
- **lux** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lust-vs-lux)
- **luv** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lust-vs-luv)
- **luz** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lust-vs-luz)
- **Lyft** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lust-vs-lyft)
- **luxe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lust-vs-luxe)
- **lutz** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lust-vs-lutz)
- **lute** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lust-vs-lute)
- **lusty** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lust-vs-lusty)
- **lustre** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lust-vs-lustre)
- **luster** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lust-vs-luster)
- **Lt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lt-vs-lust)
- **Ls** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ls-vs-lust)
- **lu** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lu-vs-lust)
- **lot** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lot-vs-lust)
- **let** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/let-vs-lust)
- **los** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/los-vs-lust)
- **las** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/las-vs-lust)
- **lit** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lit-vs-lust)
- **les** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/les-vs-lust)
- **lbs** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lbs-vs-lust)

## Common misspellings (5)
`llust`, `lusst`, `lustt`, `luts`, `ulst`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/lust