hornier; horniest
1
a
: of or made of horn (see horn sense 1d)
a horny growth
b
: having a hard calloused surface or texture
horny skin
horny-handed
c
of a mineral : compact and homogeneous with a dull luster
2
: having horns (see horn sense 1)
3
[horn erect penis + -y entry 1]
a
: desiring sexual gratification
horny teenagers
b
: excited sexually
horniness noun

Example Sentences

in her view, “teenage boys are perpetually horny
Recent Examples on the Web Roth’s relationships with Norma Haverhill (Sigourney Weaver) — the estate’s haughty, shrewish, horny heiress — and Maya Core (Quintessa Swindell), her estranged, mixed-race grandniece whom Roth is instructed to train and educate, are preposterously contrived. Armond White, National Review, 24 May 2023 Speaking of, according to insiders (and Twitter chatter), the picket lines at Netflix have emerged as, ahem, the horniest of them all. Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 May 2023 Honoré recalls the dirt of a horny adolescent’s lust, the emotional confusion that twists desire for contact and intimacy into degradation, self-abnegation, and the longing for salvation — needs effaced by the title’s unclear American translation. Armond White, National Review, 5 May 2023 Like, sorry: tremolo, pizzicato, andante, pianissimo, forte, and more are simply horny words. Vulture, 1 May 2023 Perfect Match, Netflix’s new dating show, is like Circus of the Stars — except for horny F-listers. Ej Dickson, Rolling Stone, 19 Feb. 2023 But people were too eager, too happy, too horny. Emily Witt, The New Yorker, 24 June 2021 This may, in fact, be the least horny Dracula in recent memory—an impressive feat, given that he's played by Nic Cage. A.a. Dowd, Chron, 12 Apr. 2023 Jack Black, who voices this horny demon, gives a stupendous performance. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 4 Apr. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'horny.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

see horn

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of horny was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near horny

Cite this Entry

“Horny.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/horny. Accessed 2 Jun. 2023.

Kids Definition

horny

adjective
hornier; horniest
1
: made of horn or of something resembling horn
2
: hard entry 1 sense 1, callous
horny hands

Medical Definition

horny

adjective
hornier; horniest
1
a
: composed of or resembling tough fibrous material consisting chiefly of keratin : keratinous
horny tissue
after the horny material has been … cut awayMorris Fishbein
b
: being hard or callused
horny-handed
2
: having horns
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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