Meaning & use
lusting over
Last updated
Meanings
phrasefixed phrase
Feeling strong sexual desire while looking at or thinking about someone.
Grammar: Followed by a person or thing: lusting over someone. It works like a verb phrase but is used as a set expression.
Patterns
- lusting over someone
- lusting over something
He was lusting over the actress in the magazine.
She caught him lusting over her photo on social media.
phrasefixed phrasefigurative
Wanting something very much, often in an envious or greedy way.
Grammar: Used with an object: lusting over a new phone, a car, etc.
Patterns
- lusting over something
They spent the afternoon lusting over gadgets they couldn't afford.
He was lusting over his neighbor's new motorbike.
Common combinations
- lusting over someone
- The whole office was lusting over the new intern.
- lusting over a car
- He stood outside the dealership, lusting over a red sports car.
- caught lusting over
- She was caught lusting over her ex's profile picture.
Synonyms and how they differ
- lusting after
- Almost the same meaning, but 'after' is a little more common in British English and can sound slightly more formal.
- drooling over
- More informal and often used for things you want to buy; it can also mean showing excessive enthusiasm.
Word family
Commonly confused: lusting over or listing over?
lusting over vs listing over
'Listing over' is not a common phrase; 'listing' means leaning to one side, as in 'the ship was listing'.
Practice
He was ______ the new sports car in the window.
Choose one answer.
'Lusting over' is the correct phrase meaning 'desiring something you see'. 'Lusting' alone needs a preposition like 'after' or 'for'; 'lust over' is not the usual -ing form; 'lustful over' is not grammatical.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “lusting over”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.