lusty means exhibiting lust (in the obsolete sense meaning "vigor"); strong, healthy, robust; vigorous; full of sap or vitality. It carries an Arena rating of 1630, earned across 3 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, lusty ranks #760 of 17,132 for Most Betrayed by Its Sound, #2,949 of 17,127 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #3,096 of 17,127 for Most Vivid Words, #3,511 of 17,130 for Most Beautiful Words.
lusty is pronounced /ˈlʌsti/.
Why “lusty” is a great word
Exhibiting robust, hearty vitality, or a strong inclination toward physical desire. From Middle English *lusty* (meaning 'mirthful, pleasant, delightful'), equivalent to *lust* (in its older sense of 'pleasure, vigor') + the adjectival suffix *-y*. Unlike 'lustful,' which fixates purely on sexual appetite, or 'vigorous,' a neutral descriptor of strength, *lusty* retains the echo of a full-bodied, earthy delight. It is the ruddy-cheeked bellow of a folk singer in a fire-lit hall, the unrestrained vigor of a harvest dance, and the deep, fertile scent of rain on turned soil—a word for a vitality so profound it blurs the line between the vigorous and the sensual, remembering a time when to be full of *lust* was merely to be full of life.
Etymology
From Middle English lusty (“mirthful, pleasant, delicious, delightful”), equivalent to lust + -y. Compare Saterland Frisian lustich (“amusing”), West Frisian lustich (“amusing, funny”), Dutch lustig (“cheerful”), German lustig (“amusing”), Danish lystig (“merry”), Swedish lustig (“funny”).
adj
- Exhibiting lust (in the obsolete sense meaning "vigor"); strong, healthy, robust; vigorous; full of sap or vitality.
- Hearty, merry, gleesome, enthusiastic, lively, stirring.
- Given to experiencing lust; enjoying physical sensations; lustful.e.g.“Before the flood thou with thy lusty crew” — 1671, John Milton, “The First Book”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for John Starkey […], →OCLC, page 2:
- Beautiful; handsome; pleasant.
- Of large size; big.e.g.“And a speake any thing against me, Ile take him downe, & a were lustier then he is, and twentie such Iacks: […]” — c. 1591–1595 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[
- Of large size; big.; With child.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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