porno

IPA/ˈpɔːnəʊ/
KK[pˈɔrno]IPA/ˈpɔːrnəʊ/

porno — adjective

  • pornopositive
  • more pornocomparative
  • most pornosuperlative

1. used to describe films, books, pictures, or websites that show sexual acts with

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

used to describe films, books, pictures, or websites that show sexual acts with the aim of making people feel excited — often considered rude or offensive by many people; an informal short form of 'pornographic'

Example

Élise found a stack of porno magazines in the back of the old storage room.

The website was shut down for hosting porno content without age verification.

passive: was shut down for hosting [noun] content

Common collocations
  • porno film
  • porno magazine
  • porno website
  • porno content
  • porno image
  • porno video
Synonyms
  • pornographic

    the full, standard form; less casual in tone

  • explicit

    broader in meaning — can describe any sexual content without the same informal feel

  • adult

    euphemistic and milder; common in neutral contexts ('adult films')

Grammar Patterns

porno + noun (attributive use)

Usage Note

Informal shortening of 'pornographic'. Because the word is very casual and can sound crude, it is best avoided in formal writing, professional settings, or conversations where the topic might offend listeners.

Common Mistakes

The museum displayed porno sculptures from ancient Greece.
The museum displayed erotic sculptures from ancient Greece.
'porno' feels too modern and casual for describing historical or artistic works; use 'erotic' instead.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

These four words all describe sexually explicit material but differ sharply in register and connotation. 'Pornographic' is the neutral, formal term — the full version of 'porno' — and is appropriate in academic, legal, or journalistic contexts. 'Explicit' is the broadest of the four; it can describe any sexual content without carrying moral judgment, making it a good choice for neutral descriptions ('the film contains explicit scenes'). 'Adult' is a deliberate euphemism, commonly used in industry labels ('adult entertainment', 'adult bookstore') to sound less graphic. 'X-rated' is a specific historical movie-rating label that has become a general adjective for very hardcore sexual content; it sounds dated but still appears in informal speech. In everyday conversation, 'porno' is the most casual option but risks sounding crude. A writer describing a film might say 'the movie has explicit content,' while a friend might joke 'it's basically a porno.'

pornographicexplicit ↗adult ↗X-rated ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • hard-core porno
  • soft-core porno

Etymology

GreekFrenchEnglish

'Porno' first appeared in English in the 1960s as a shortened form of 'pornographic'. The longer word comes from French 'pornographique', which was borrowed from Greek 'pornographos' (literally 'writing about prostitutes'), a combination of 'pornē' (prostitute) and 'graphein' (to write).