Hard-on Definition & Meaning

American

Idioms

Usage

Etymology

hard-on American [hahrd-on, -awn] / ˈhɑrdˌɒn, -ˌɔn /

noun

Slang: Vulgar.

plural

hard-ons

1. an erection of the penis.

hard on Idioms

1. Also, hard upon, hard by . In close proximity, as in The police were hard on the heels of the thieves , or It was hard upon three o'clock , or Their house is hard by ours . The variants are used less than hard on . [Second half of 1700s]

2. be hard on . Deal severely with, cause damage to. For example, He asked the teacher not to be too hard on those who forgot the assignment , or That cat has really been hard on the upholstery . [Second half of 1600s] Also see hard time , def. 2.

Usage

What does hard-on mean? A hard-on is slang for an erection of the penis. It has been extended as a metaphor for being excited about something in general.The vulgar slang hard-on is not to be confused with the expression to be hard (on someone) is to be mean and critical, or to he expression to go hard (on something), meaning "to go all out."What are some other forms of hard-on?hard on

Etymology

Origin of hard-on

First recorded in 1890–95

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.