Lust (Latin Luxuria, carnal) is a strong desire. Lust is usually associated with a strong or unbridled sexual desire, which can lead to fornication (including adultery), rape, bestiality and other sinful sexual acts. However, lust can mean other forms of unbridled desire, for example, money or power. Henry Edward Manning says that the impurity of lust turns a person into a "slave of the devil."
Dante defined lust as promiscuous love for people. It is usually considered the least serious mortal sin, since it is an abuse of abilities that people share with animals, and sins of the flesh are less serious than spiritual sins.
In Dante's Purgatory, the penitent walks in fire to purge himself of lustful thoughts and feelings. In Dante's "Hell" unforgiven souls guilty of lust are forever carried by restless winds, symbolizing the lack of self-control in earthly life.