The 10 Best Synonyms for Wanderlust [+ 20 Creative Travel Words] - What Does Danny Do? (2023)

"Wanderlust" has to be one of my absolute favorite words.

It is also an emotion that I experience regularly!

Plagued by itchy feet, I'm always looking for the next place to explore and fantasize about adventures in distant lands.

As the Charlotte Eriksson quote says, "I will never lose the love of arriving, but I was born to go."

are you the same

Well, after you've said "wanderlust" a few too many times, there may come a point when you want to describe the same feeling differently.

Luckily there are some great onessynonymous with wanderlustthat should be enough! Would you like to discover a selection of the best?

Read on to learn 10 of my favoritesSynonyms for wanderlustplus 20creative travel wordsI think you will like it too.

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My favorite synonyms for wanderlust

From Greece to Sweden, the synonyms for wanderlust in this list come from a wide variety of places and have slight differences in definition. Ultimately, however, they all have the same theme in common: an intense desire to travel.

I hope you like them as much as I do!

• n = Noun

• v = verb

• a = Adjective

1. Dromomanie (n)

• Origin: Greek

• Definition: An excessive desire to hike.

Sometimes referred to as "vagabond neurosis," dromomania was once a psychiatric diagnosis given to people with an overwhelming desire to walk or hike.

I'm not sure I would ever call wanderlust a psychiatric problem!

But I think most self-confessed travel addicts could identify with the deep and borderline compulsive urge to hit the road.

2. Eleutheromania (n)

• Origin: Greek

• Definition: An intense, wild, and irresistible desire for freedom.

Do you feel a deep and irrepressible urge to cast off the shackles of everyday life in exchange for your freedom?

Well, you could be a secret "Eleutheromaniac"!

Although this isn't necessarily oneI agreeSynonymous with wanderlust, I think there are definitely similarities. For me at least one of the big onesBenefits of Travelingis the freedom it offers; it's what I miss the most when I've been in one place for too long.

3. Travel(s)

• Origin: German

• Definition: A longing to go somewhere you've never been before.

The Germans seem to have a knack for inventing great travel words and wanderlust synonyms. case and point? Wanderlust!

Apparently it means something like "far wehe" or "far-sickness" in English and is basically the opposite of homesickness. Youyearnto travel.

But not only that, you long to travel to a new place.

Again, it's a concept I think most travel lovers will be familiar with! You can be at home and somehow homesick for distant countries where you have never been.

4. Itchy Feet(s)

• Origin: English

• Definition: A strong desire to get out of the place and travel.

This is the classic synonym for wanderlust and one I use all the time when trying to describe my urge to be on the move. I just love how descriptive and full of pictures it is.

5. Novaturient (a)

• Origin: Latin

• Definition: The desire or aspiration to make a significant change in your life.

Tired of the mundane and desperate to break free from your typical routine? Traveling is the perfect way to do it!

6. Resfeber (n)

• Origin: Swedish

• Definition: The "restless race of the traveler's heart" before setting out on a journey.

Lyrically and descriptively, resfeber is another great word for travelers to stash in their locker!

You will experience it when you packyour backpackor suitcase, your departure date is approaching or you are saying goodbye to your loved ones at the airport.

It's the feeling of anticipation, excitement and fear rolled into one.

7. Saudade (n)

• Origin: Portuguese

• Definition: An intense longing for something/someone that is unattainable.

This Portuguese word is difficult to pin down with a direct translation.

Some say Saudade is a feeling of nostalgia or melancholy. Others define it as "presence of absence".

Anyway, I think it has poetic echoes of wanderlust!

It sometimes feels like my heartPainsto travel. It's not always just about having itchy feet or feeling the need to go on an adventure.

It is deeper, more emotional and also colored with melancholy.

8. Longing(s)

• Origin: German

• Definition: longing, longing or wistful longing for something (e.g. travel).

Let's stay with the melancholic topic for a moment, we still have a nice German travel word,longing.

With similarities toolonging, it is described as a "wistful longing" for something.

I suppose this doesn't have to refer to travel, but it seems an apt synonym for wanderlust...or at least a certain shade of it.

In fact, I would surmise that most travel lovers feel that "wistful longing" to get going when they're stuck in one place for too long.

9. Strichedonie (n)

• Origin: Greek

• Definition: Refers to the joy of being able to say "the hell with it."

Strikhedonia is all over the internet on lists of wanderlust synonyms and creative travel words like this one. However, as confident as many people seem to talk about it, there is some dispute over its authenticity as aindeedWort.

The result? As beautiful and descriptive as it is, I would take it with a pinch of salt.

Still, I like to keep it in mind as another word for wanderlust!

Asthis Reddit postexplains that "-hedonia" comes from the Greek "hedone" meaning "pleasure" and "strik" comes from "strike" which used to mean "to go".

A rough translation of strikehedonia would then be “the pleasure of going somewhere”. Or colloquially, the pleasure of saying "the hell with it".

10. Restlessness (s)

• Origin: English

• Definition: The quality or state of uncertainty.

That particular word for wanderlust isn't particularly inventive or poetic! But I think soI agree.

For me, wanderlust is above all a feeling of restlessness.

I have itchy feet. I am not satisfied. I have a constant urge to walk, move and be somewheresomewheredifferent than here.

My favorite travel synonyms and words about travel

While researching this post, I quickly realized that there aren't too many amazing synonyms for wanderlust!

thereare,however, a whole bunch of great words that describe travelIn general.

Here are my favorite travel-related words:

11. Coddiwomple (v)

• Origin: English slang

• Definition: Travel purposefully to an unknown destination.

12. Eudaimonia (n)

• Origin: Greek

• Definition: The state of human flourishing. Live a good life. A state of deep happiness or contentment.

13. Loafer

• Origin: French

• Definition: The opposite of a workaholic! A "stroller" or "loafer". Someone who moves aimlessly but with joy, observing life and his surroundings.

14. Galivant (v) (one of my other favorite travel words)

• Origin: German

• Definition: Moving from place to place in search of pleasure or entertainment. The only plan is to roam around; to hike to have fun.

15. Homesickness(es)

• Origin: German

• Definition: A state of homesickness or homesickness.

16. Cozy(s)

• Origin: Danish

• Definition: The warm, cozy feeling you get from hanging out with good friends and enjoying the simple pleasures in life.

17. Nephelibata (n)

• Origin: Portuguese

• Definition: Literally "cloud walker". An unconventional person! An outsider who does not adhere to the typical customs and ideals of society.

18. Hiking (v)

• Origin: Latin

• Definition: A fancy way of saying to travel or wander from place to place. It derives from the Latin word "peregrinat" which means "travelled abroad" (hence a traveled synonym).

19. Peripathic (n)

• Origin: Greek

• Definition: A fancy term for someone who travels from place to place. It can also be used as an adjective (e.g. a peripatetic lifestyle).

20. Infatuation(s)

• Origin: Spanish

• Definition: Somewhere where you feel at home and your most authentic self. It is the place from which you draw inspiration and strength.

21. Storm free

• Origin: German

• Definition: Literally "storm free," although the word refers to the freedom not to be monitored or restricted. It means being alone and being able to do exactly what you want.

22. Find (n)

• Origin: French

• Definition: Similar to the English word "windfall", it describes an unexpected stroke of luck or something beautiful that was discovered by chance.

23. sway (v)

• Origin: Spanish

• Definition: The act of going somewhere when theexperience of travelis more important than achieving the goal itself.

24. Wanderer (n)

• Origin: English

• Definition: A synonym for traveller; especially someone who travels on foot.

25. Yugen (n)

• Origin: Japan

• Definition: An intense, mysterious and deep sense of how beautiful and indescribable the universe is.

Synonyms and words for travel lovers

What do you call someone who loves to travel?

Here are 5 words for travel lovers and words for travelers to conclude this post on travel words and synonyms!

26. Gadabout (n)

• Origin: English

• Definition: "A habitual pleasure-seeker" or someone who travels both often and for fun. It comes from the Middle English verb "gadden", which means "to wander about without a specific aim or purpose".

27. Gallivant (n)

• Origin: German

• Definition: Someone obsessed with traveling for fun or adventure; who ventures in search of entertainment.

28. Hodophiler (n)

• Origin: Greek

• Definition: Someone who likes to travel!

29. Solivagant (n)

• Origin: Latin

• Definition: A lone wanderer; someone who travels alone. From the Latin solus (alone) and vagan (to wander).

30. Xenophilie (n)

• Origin: Greek

• Definition: The opposite of xenophobia, this travel word describes the love for foreign customs, cultures and people.

Think of these creative travel words and synonyms

As a travel enthusiast, it always comes in handy to have a few synonyms for wanderlust handy.

It helps you describe your state of mind when you're dying to travel and tired of using the same old terms.

With a bit of luck, the wanderlust synonyms and creative travel words in this article will help.

Now I look forward to hearing from you! Which wanderlust synonym did you like the most?

Leave a comment below to let me know. And if you are looking for more words related to travel,click hereto learn how to say thank you in every single country in the world!