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hard-on

hard-on

20 9.9
A man's penis becomes hard because of sexual excitement
  • noun
  • /ˈhɑrdˌɑn/
  • Offensive
translation icon : erección
  • Do you know how hard it is to pee with a hard-on?
  • get a hard-on
  • give me a hard-on
  • fucking hard-on

Examples

  • You must be so proud and get a hard-on every time you get the chance.

    Blog text (4)
  • I've got a hard-on already.

  • Jesus Christ, you gave me a hard-on, lady.

  • Even the name gives me a hard-on.

  • All this love talk, I got me a hard-on.

  • I can't even get a hard-on when another woman comes near me.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • What has two thumbs, a hard-on, and wants this guy to get laid?

  • And why not take a pill to get a hard-on, if that's the only option?

    Blog text (22)
  • Courage, a veteran beat cop once told Larry, is just fear with a hard-on.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • After seeing her in that dress, he couldn't help but get a hard-on.

Synonyms

erection
vshard-on
  • NSFW
51 6.0

A penis becoming stiff and bigger, usually because of sexual arousal

is informal and vulgar in tone rather than neutral medical usage

How Erect

hard-on
  • Offensive
20 9.9
erect
  • Offensive
10 7.4
semi-chub
  • Offensive
9.9

Surface Forms

hard-on singular
hard-ons plural

Morphology

hard-on = hard (semi-transparent) = on + hard

The meaning follows a straightforward metaphor ('hard' = rigid, 'on' = activated), but the specific slang sense 'erection' is idiomatic and vulgar, so it is not fully predictable for learners. [Postprocessing: moved 'on' from base_words to prefix]

Etymology

Hard-on is a plain compound of hard and on: hard means 'firm' and on means 'switched on' or 'active', like a machine that is working or someone who is 'turned on'. So thinking of something 'firm and switched on' helps remember it refers to an erection, a firm penis.