adj
Uncommon
horny
HAW-nee
Horny (adj) means Informal: sexually aroused. Example: “He admitted he felt a little horny after a few drinks.”
adj
1
Informal: sexually aroused.
"He admitted he felt a little horny after a few drinks."
2
Hard or rough like an animal's horn.
"Years of manual work left his hands horny and calloused."
"Two Dwarfs were at the bellows, another was holding a piece of red-hot metal on the anvil with a pair of tongs, a fourth was hammering it, and two, wiping their horny little hands on a greasy cloth, were coming forward to meet the visitors."
— C. S. Lewis, Prince Caspian (1951)
"The old farmer's horny fingernails were thick and hard as shell."
"Walking barefoot all summer left the soles of her feet horny."
How to use horny
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishMost commonly used informally to mean sexually aroused; more literally, tough and horn-like in texture.
When to use it
The sexual sense is informal/vulgar and should be used with care in mixed company.
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Word forms
- Comparative
- hornier
- Superlative
- horniest
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
He admitted he felt a little _____ after a few drinks.
Etymology
From horn + -y.
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for horny
See all rhymes for horny →Frequently asked questions
Where does the texture sense of horny come from?
The texture sense of horny relates directly to the word 'horn,' describing something that is hard, rough, or callused in a way that resembles the material horns are made of.
What is the meaning of horny?
"horny" (adj) means informal: sexually aroused.
What is another word for horny?
Other words for "horny" include callused, hardened, keratinized, corneous, hornlike, randy.
What is the opposite of horny?
The opposite of "horny" is soft.
