horny

American  

[hawr-nee] / ˈhɔr ni /

adjective

hornier, comparative horniest superlative

1. consisting of a horn or a hornlike substance; corneous.

2. having a horn or horns or hornlike projections; horned.

3. hornlike as a result of hardening; callous.

   horny hands.

4. Slang: Vulgar.

   1. lustful.

   2. sexually excited.

5. Archaic. semiopaque or somewhat translucent, like horn.

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horny British  

/ ˈhɔːnɪ /

adjective

1. of, like, or hard as horn

2. having a horn or horns

3. slang

   1. sexually aroused

   2. provoking or intended to provoke sexual arousal

   3. sexually eager or lustful

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• horniness
  noun
• hornily
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Adjectives

• hornier
  comparative
• horniest
  superlative

Etymology

Origin of horny

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; horn + -y ¹

Explanation

Things that are horny either look like or are made of an animal’s horn or a similar hard material. The thick, hard nail on your big toe could be described as horny. The word horny, describing the bony projection on an animal's head, appeared in English before the 10th century. An informal meaning — that of being sexually aroused — appeared later. Male physical arousal was crudely referred to as "having the horn” in the late 18th century before becoming the word horny in the mid-19th century. First used exclusively for men, the word now describes women's sexual feelings as well.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

horny hornier horniest

The researchers conclude that the creature’s horny helmet was a powerful buttress for jousting with other males, they report today in Science.

From Science Magazine ● Jun. 1, 2022

In the study of sponge evolution, horny sponges are notoriously challenging.

From New York Times ● Jul. 28, 2021

Which raises a question scientists are now trying to answer: What happened to the horny toads?

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 2, 2021

Indeed, the university rescinded admission offers for at least 10 prospective students in 2017 over offensive comments they had made in a private Facebook group called “Harvard memes for horny bourgeois teens”.

From The Guardian ● Jun. 19, 2019

Now there were thousands of willing hands of all ages, from the small but nimble ones of the hobbit lads and lasses to the well-worn and horny ones of the gaffers and gammers.

From "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien

The glass, again, though elegant and quaint, and very varied in form, was somewhat bubbled and hornier in texture than the commercial articles of the nineteenth century. 

From News from Nowhere, or, an Epoch of Rest : being some chapters from a utopian romance by Morris, William

Like I said mate, I've been a surfin fool, I'm the horniest I have been for surfing in years.

From Time Magazine Archive