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

Examples of horny in a Sentence

in her view, “teenage boys are perpetually horny
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Making sure that future generations will be able to hear Elton John sing about ‘hunting the horny back toad’? David Browne, Rolling Stone, 14 Apr. 2025 The book extends a rickety rope bridge between psychological shame—the I-must-bury-my-face kind that follows when one is caught being stupid, horny, or poor—and patriotic shame, which fells those in power with its righteous anger. Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025 For a movie that will become a violent bloodbath, Sinners is unabashedly horny. David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 10 Apr. 2025 Horniest: Fear may have driven all the horny out of this group. Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 7 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for horny

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Horny.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/horny. Accessed 28 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

horny

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