horny
gb/hˈɔɹni/ us/hˈɔɹni/
B2
English
~ 5300
Senses
0 senses
adjective
informal
B2
state
1
sexually aroused or eager for sex
Wanting to have sex very much; sexually excited. This word is informal and can sound quite strong or rude.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is/feels/gets horny
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "horny" when they only mean "excited" or "happy" (for example, saying *"I am horny for my trip"*). This is incorrect and sounds rude because "horny" almost always refers to sexual desire. Use "excited" or "looking forward to" for non-sexual situations. Also, "hornet" and "horn" are unrelated in meaning here, so avoid confusing them.
Synonyms
aroused (More neutral and clinical; can be used in formal or medical contexts, while "horny" is informal and stronger.)
|
turned on (Very close in meaning and register; also informal, often used in the same situations as "horny".)
|
randy (BrE informal slang; similar meaning but may sound more humorous or old-fashioned.)
Antonyms
turned off (Describes someone who is not sexually interested or is sexually repelled, the opposite of feeling horny.)
|
uninterested (Shows a lack of sexual interest or desire, contrasting with strong desire in "horny".)
Collocations
feel horny
|get horny
|really horny
|super horny
|horny teenager
|horny all the time
Themes
relationships
|body
|emotions
Examples
- I get really horny when I haven't seen my partner for a long time.
- She said she was too tired and not horny at all tonight.
- Teenagers often feel horny because of changing hormones.
- He texted her late at night saying he was horny and wanted to come over.
Learner examples
- I feel horny when I think about my boyfriend.
- He gets horny very easily when they kiss.
- She is not horny tonight; she just wants to sleep.
- He was drunk and very horny at the party.
adjective
informal
B2
property
2
sexually arousing or erotic
Making someone feel horny; sexually exciting or erotic. This is informal and can sound rude.
Usage pattern:
[something] is horny / looks horny / sounds horny
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse describing a person as "horny" (the person feels desire) with describing something as "horny" (it causes desire). For example, *"I am a horny movie"* is wrong; it should be *"It is a horny movie"* or *"I feel horny when I watch that movie."*
Synonyms
erotic (More formal and often used for art, literature, or films; less slangy than "horny".)
|
sexy (Very common and slightly less crude; can describe people or things that cause sexual desire.)
Antonyms
unsexy (Describes something that does not cause sexual interest, opposite of "horny" in this sense.)
|
non-erotic (More formal; stresses that something has no sexual or arousing content.)
Collocations
horny movie
|horny video
|horny messages
|horny texts
|horny photos
|horny dancing
Themes
relationships
|media
|emotions
Examples
- They were sending each other horny texts all night.
- He complained that the music video was too horny for daytime TV.
- The movie wasn't just romantic; it was actually pretty horny.
- She thought his comments were way too horny for a work chat.
Learner examples
- He sent her a very horny message.
- That film is too horny for young kids.
- They posted some horny photos online.
- The song has a horny video with a lot of kissing.
adjective
C1
property
3
having hard, horn-like skin
Having skin or another body part that is very hard and thick, like an animal’s horn.
Usage pattern:
[skin/body part] is horny
Common mistake:
Learners may only know the sexual meaning and not realize "horny" can also describe thick, hard skin. In medical or scientific texts, this meaning is intended, not the sexual one. Context about skin, tissue, or anatomy is a strong signal.
Synonyms
calloused (Common everyday word for thick, hard skin from repeated pressure; very close in this context.)
|
cornified (More technical medical term for skin that has become horn-like.)
Antonyms
soft (Describes skin that is not hard or thick, opposite of horny skin.)
|
tender (Skin that is gentle and easily damaged, rather than hard and protective.)
Collocations
horny skin
|horny layer
|horny hands
|horny growth
|horny tissue
Themes
body
|medicine
|nature
|health
Examples
- The worker’s palms had become thick and horny after years of manual labor.
- In anatomy, the outermost horny layer of the skin protects the body from injury.
- The doctor examined a small horny growth on his foot.
- Constant friction can cause the skin on your heels to turn horny and cracked.
Learner examples
- His hands are hard and horny from work.
- There is a horny area on my heel.
- The top layer of our skin is dry and horny.
- The doctor said the horny skin is not dangerous.
adjective
C1
property
4
having horns (of animals)
Describes an animal that has horns on its head.
Usage pattern:
[animal] is horny / [horny] [animal]
Common mistake:
Because the sexual meaning of "horny" is so common, learners may misread phrases like "horny toad" or "horny beetle" as sexual. In zoology, it simply means the animal has horn-like structures.
Synonyms
horned (Standard descriptive word in biology; directly interchangeable in many scientific contexts.)
Antonyms
hornless (Describes an animal that has no horns, the direct opposite of "horny" here.)
Collocations
horny toad
|horny cattle
|horny beetle
|horny-headed
|horny snout
Themes
animals
|nature
|science
Examples
- The horny toad is actually a kind of lizard with short, sharp spines.
- Some breeds of sheep are naturally horny, while others are hornless.
- The researcher studied several horny beetle species in the rainforest.
- They kept a small herd of horny cattle on the farm.
Learner examples
- The cow is horny and has long horns.
- Some goats are horny, but some have no horns.
- A horny toad looks scary because of its sharp body.
- That beetle is small but very horny with many horns.
Grammar
Dictionary form
horny
IPA
GB/hˈɔɹni/
US/hˈɔɹni/
Syllables & stress
horny (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (horny)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: horny
- Comparative: hornier
- Superlative: horniest
Word family
Forms
hornier
adjective
horniest
adjective
Core family
horniness
noun
Related words
horn
noun A2
horned
adjective
Negative and opposite forms
hornless
adjective
Expressions
feel horny
1/fˈil hˈɔɹni/
fixed phrase
informal
experience sexual desire
To have the feeling of wanting to have sex.
Examples
- She said she feels horny after a few drinks.
- Sometimes I feel horny for no clear reason at all.
get horny
1/ɡˈɛt hˈɔɹni/
fixed phrase
informal
become sexually aroused
To start feeling strong sexual desire.
Examples
- I always get horny when we watch that kind of movie together.
- He gets horny very quickly when they kiss on the couch.
horny as hell
1/hˈɔɹni ˈæz hˈɛl/
idiom
informal
extremely sexually aroused
Feeling very, very horny.
Examples
- After two weeks apart, they were both horny as hell.
- He came home drunk and horny as hell last night.
horny goat weed
1/hˈɔɹni ɡˈoʊt wˈid/
fixed phrase
informal
herb used to boost libido
A herbal product that some people take because they believe it makes them more horny or improves sexual performance.
Examples
- He bought some horny goat weed online, hoping it would improve his sex drive.
- Horny goat weed is sold as a natural way to get more energy and feel hornier.
make someone horny
1/mˈeɪk sˈʌmwˌʌn hˈɔɹni/
fixed phrase
informal
cause someone to feel horny
To cause another person to feel strong sexual desire.
Examples
- That perfume really makes him horny.
- Her messages made him so horny that he couldn’t think about anything else.