Wanderlust
Meaning: A strong desire to travel and explore the world.
Wanderlust became the defining millennial travel buzzword, appearing on T-shirts, Instagram bios, and dorm room posters. It captures the millennial dream of experiencing the world rather than settling down — choosing experiences over possessions. It's aspirational and slightly romantic.
Examples
- Her wanderlust kicked in and she booked a solo trip to Portugal. 她的旅行欲一上来,就订了一趟去葡萄牙的独自旅行。Le entró el wanderlust y se reservó un viaje en solitario a Portugal.ワンダーラストに火がついて、ポルトガルへの一人旅を予約しちゃった。방랑벽에 불이 붙어서 포르투갈 혼자 여행을 예약해 버렸어.
- I've got serious wanderlust — I can't stop looking at flights. 我的旅行欲太强了——一直忍不住看机票。Tengo un wanderlust serio — no puedo dejar de mirar vuelos.ワンダーラストがやばい——航空券ばっかり見ちゃう。방랑벽이 심해——항공권만 계속 보고 있어.
- His Instagram bio literally just says 'wanderlust' and a plane emoji. 他的 Instagram 简介就写了个'wanderlust'加一个飞机表情符号。Su biografía de Instagram literalmente solo dice 'wanderlust' y un emoji de avión.彼のインスタのプロフィール、文字通り「wanderlust」と飛行機の絵文字だけ。걔 인스타 프로필에 문자 그대로 'wanderlust'하고 비행기 이모지만 써 있어.
Pronunciation
Usage Guide
Context: social media, travel blogs, casual conversation
Tone: dreamy, adventurous
✓ Do Say
- I've got wanderlust bad.我的旅行欲太强了。Tengo un wanderlust terrible.ワンダーラストがひどいんだ。방랑벽이 심해.
- Feeding my wanderlust with a weekend trip.周末短途旅行满足一下我的旅行欲。Alimentando mi wanderlust con una escapada de fin de semana.週末旅行でワンダーラストを満たすぞ。주말 여행으로 방랑벽을 달래는 중.
✗ Don't Say
- The word became so overused it's considered cliché — travel influencers now avoid it to seem less basic这个词被过度使用以至于被视为陈词滥调——旅行博主们现在都避免用它,以免显得太普通La palabra se usó tanto que se considera un cliché — los influencers de viajes ahora la evitan para no parecer predecibles使い古されすぎて今やクリシェとされている——旅行インフルエンサーは「ベーシック」に見えないよう避けるようになった이 단어가 너무 남용되어서 진부한 표현으로 여겨진다——여행 인플루언서들은 너무 베이직해 보이지 않으려고 이제 이 말을 피한다
Origin & History
A German loanword meaning 'desire to wander,' it has existed in English since the early 1900s. Millennials revived and popularized it in the 2010s through travel blogging, Instagram, and the experience-over-things lifestyle movement.
Cultural Context
Era: 2012-2018 peak
Generation: Millennials
Social background: Universal
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