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dromomania

dromomania

1 9.9
A strong urge to travel or wander without a clear purpose
  • noun
  • /ˌdroʊməˈneɪə/
  • Specialized
: dromomanía
  • Dromomania refers to the uncontrollable urge to travel, a pathological tourism, and it was all the rage in France between 1886 and 1909.

Examples

  • The man who exemplified dromomania for the European medical establishment was a gas-fitter from Bordeaux, one Jean-Albert Dadas.

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  • Many people suffering from dromomania find it difficult to stay in one place for long.

  • Dada's story inspired several other cases of dromomania in France at the time.

    Blog text (19)
  • Dromomania, or Pathological Tourism

    Blog text (19)
  • Of course, his dromomania probably would have been much easier on him if he'd also been suffering from cartacoethes, the compulsion to see maps everywhere.

    Blog text (19)
  • Her dromomania made her take spontaneous trips to different countries without any plan.

  • He didn't know why he felt such a strong dromomania that pushed him to leave home frequently.

Synonyms

wanderlust
vsdromomania
5 6.7

A strong desire to travel and see new places

is an uncontrollable psychological urge causing frequent purposeless wandering
itchy feet
vsdromomania
  • Informal
1 8.0

A strong wish to travel to new places

is a clinical uncontrollable condition leading to repeated purposeless travel
vagabondage
vsdromomania
  • Archaic
1 9.9

Moving from place to place without a home or clear purpose

refers to an internal compulsion rather than the mere act of roaming

Antonyms

7 5.5

A person who likes to stay at home rather than go out

How Compulsive

dromomania
  • Specialized
1 9.9
wanderlust
5 6.7
restlessness
11 3.8

Surface Forms

dromomania singular
dromomanias plural

Morphology

dromomania = mania (semi-transparent) = dromo + mania

The element '-mania' clearly signals an obsessive condition, but 'dromo' is an obscure Greek combining form for running/wandering, so the full sense is only partly guessable by learners.

Etymology

Dromomania comes from Greek parts dromo- meaning 'run' and -mania meaning 'madness' or 'strong desire', so it pictures a 'mad urge to run' from place to place.