horny
horny Lexical Profile
horny Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Feeling or exhibiting strong sexual desire or arousal (informal or slang).
"The coming-of-age comedy follows a group of horny teenagers navigating their final year of high school."
Consisting of or resembling horn; hard, calloused, and tough in texture.
"The desert lizard is protected by a layer of horny scales that prevent moisture loss."
Having horns or hornlike projections.
"The entomologist examined a horny beetle native to the tropical rainforest."
Word Nuance & Usage
In contemporary speech, 'horny' is overwhelmingly understood in its informal slang sense of 'sexually aroused,' so using it in its literal biological sense ('made of horn' or 'calloused') outside of technical contexts often invites unintended humor.
• Rhymes for horny
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in Middle English from the noun 'horn' (from Old English 'horn', of Proto-Germanic origin) plus the adjectival suffix '-y'; the colloquial sense of sexual arousal emerged in late 19th-century slang.