Lusty means full of vigour and healthy strength. A lusty cry, lusty singing, a lusty appetite.
It describes energy rather than desire, which surprises people who assume it is about lust — a lusty baby is a healthy loud one. It suits singing, shouting and appetite. It is slightly old-fashioned. Note that the German lustig and Dutch lustig mean cheerful, from the same root, and that the English lust narrowed to desire while lusty did not.
1adjectivelustyFull of vigour and healthy strength.
“The sailors sang a lusty song as they pulled on the ropes.”
lusty is a quality of vigour.
Middle English lusty is lust plus -y, where lust meant pleasure or vigour. German lustig and Dutch lustig still mean cheerful from the same root.
Middle English
lusty — mirthful, pleasant, delicious, delightful
English, today
lusty
From Middle English lusty (“mirthful, pleasant, delicious, delightful”), equivalent to lust + -y. Compare stq lustich (“amusing”), West Frisian lustich (“amusing, funny”), Dutch lustig (“cheerful”), German lustig (“amusing”), Danish lystig (“merry”), Swedish lustig (“funny”).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA