Wanderlust
A restless urge to travel — a German loanword that English repurposed, because in German it is mostly about hiking.
Full definition of Wanderlust →:: COMPARE ::
WanderlustvsFernweh
The short answer
Wanderlust is an appetite: you want to go. Fernweh is an ache: it hurts to be here. One is built from Lust, desire; the other from Weh, pain — the same morpheme as in Heimweh, homesickness, of which it is the exact structural antonym.
Side by side
| Aspect | Wanderlust | Fernweh |
|---|---|---|
| Built from | Desire | Pain |
| Points at | Going | Not being there |
| Relieved by | A trip | Arrival |
| German range | Hiking, outdoors | Distance, longing |
What each one means
Fernweh
Fernweh is a German word for an aching longing to be far away — a homesickness for places you've never been. Where homesickness pulls you toward home, fernweh pulls you toward the horizon.
Full definition of Fernweh →