As beautiful as it can be, love often brings a side of drama, jealousy, and the occasional betrayal that makes you want to throw your partner’s belongings out the window.
And that leads us to today’s word:
cornuto
In a nutshell, cornuto in Italian means “cuckold:” it’s the betrayed one, the unfortunate soul who is either totally unaware (or painfully aware) that their significant other is, how shall I say… spreading love around!
The literal translation of cornuto is “horned.” Yes, as in, sporting horns. Like the ones on a bull or a goat.
We can thank Greek mythology for this whole horns-infidelity connection. One popular story points to Minos, the king of Crete, whose wife Pasiphae, under the influence of divine forces, betrayed him with (brace yourself) a sacred bull. From this rather questionable affair was born the Minotaur, half man, half bull. Once the people of Crete learned of the betrayal, they started mocking the king by making “horn” signs at him. And just like that, poor Minos became the very first cornuto on record!
Grammatically speaking, cornuto is an adjective, so it must agree with the person it describes:
Povero Marco, non sa di essere cornuto.
Poor Marco, he doesn’t know he’s been cheated on.
È cornuta da anni ma continua a stare con lui.
She’s been cheated on for years but keeps staying with him.
A word of warning: cornuto is a highly colloquial term that needs to be handled with care, as it basically takes a private betrayal and makes it public. So, it’s best to avoid it, unless you’re clearly joking around with close friends.
Cornuto a s a generic insult
Beyond the messy world of romance, sometimes cornuto is used as a more generic insult when tempers flare. In those cases, it’s not necessarily about cheating, it’s just a verbal venting, roughly like calling someone an “asshole” in English.
Classic scenario: you accidentally cut someone off in traffic, the offended driver loses their filter, leans out the window, and yells Cornuto! (Cuckold!) or Sei un cornuto! (You’re a cuckold!). Nothing to do with your love life, you just annoyed them on the road.
The insult may be accompanied by the iconic gesto delle corna (horn gesture): index and pinky fingers raised, middle fingers folded down with the thumb holding them, and voilà, instant horns! If you’re a fan of classic black-and-white movies, there’s a legendary example of this in Il Sorpasso, where the gesture is used with expert precision (watch here).
Now, I know it might sound tempting to try out yourself, but resist the urge. Seriously. As I mentioned earlier, this is the kind of word that can easily spark tension. So, better to keep it in your head so you can recognize it when you hear it.
Some cornuto-related expressions
Of course, beyond the basic term, we have developed a number of cornuto-related expressions, typically used during gossip sessions:
- Avere le corna(literally, “to have the horns”): This is a bit of a more explicit way of saying that someone is a cuckold.
Ma dai, lo sanno tutti che la moglie ha le corna!
Come on, everyone knows that the wife is being cheated on.
- Portare le corna(literally, “to wear the horns”): Same basic meaning— someone has been cheated on — but this version makes it sound like they’re physically wearing the shame of it.
Quel poveretto porta le corna ma fa finta di niente.
That poor guy has been cheated on, but he’s acting as if nothing happened.
- Fare le corna(literally, “to make the horns”): This means to cheat on someone, so it’s the verb for the person doing the cheating.
Hai saputo? Le ha fatto le corna con la vicina!
Have you heard? He cheated on her with the neighbour!
- Mettere le corna(literally, “to put the horns”): This expression also means to cheat on someone, but it’s a bit more visual. It’s like you’re literally placing the horns on your partner’s head, branding them as the cuckold.
Gli ha messo le corna per anni e ha il coraggio di parlare di fedeltà?!
She cheated on him for years, and she has the nerve to talk about loyalty?!
- Cornuto e mazziato(literally, “horned and beaten”): This phrase describes someone who’s not only being cheated on but is also being blamed for it or just having more misfortune piled on top. This expression often extends beyond relationships to describe a situation where someone experiences some kind of double injustice.
Non solo sua moglie lo ha tradito, ma si è anche tenuta la casa nel divorzio… cornuto e mazziato!
Not only did his wife cheat on him, but she got the house in the divorce too… talk about adding insult to injury!
Gli hanno rubato la macchina, e quando l’hanno ritrovata c’era pure una multa. Cornuto e mazziato!
His car was stolen, and when they found it there was also a fine on it. Talk about adding insult to injury!
Valentina Nicastro is a travel writer in love with her home country, Italy. Having travelled widely around the globe, she realised there was more to explore closer to home and decided to put the passport aside for a while. When she is not immersed in documenting Italy, you’ll find her donning her communication consultant hat, weaving words as a content writer and bridging linguistic divides as a translator.
