spicy
Americanadjective
-
spicier,
comparative
-
spiciest
superlative
-
seasoned with or containing spice.
a spicy salad dressing.
-
characteristic or suggestive of spice.
-
of the nature of or resembling spice.
-
abounding in or yielding spices.
-
aromatic or fragrant.
-
piquant or pungent.
spicy criticism.
-
of a slightly improper or risqué nature; somewhat sexy.
a spicy novel.
- Synonyms:
- improper, ribald, racy, suggestive
-
Informal. full of spirit; lively.
adjective
-
seasoned with or containing spice
-
highly flavoured; pungent
-
informal suggestive of scandal or sensation
-
producing or yielding spices
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of spicy
Explanation
Spicy things have a sharp, strong, pungent flavor. Hot chili peppers—and food that's made with them—are notoriously spicy. People who don't like spicy food might be hesitant to try an Indian, Thai, or Mexican restaurant, since the cuisines of those countries are known for being spicy. But if you love the way curries tingle on your tongue, then you're a fan of spicy dishes. Spicy is also used to mean "exciting but vulgar or inappropriate," like a spicy joke that's not suitable for school.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The recall includes products such as pico de gallo salsa, several types of guacamole, burritos, spicy sandwiches and fresh sliced jalapenos.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
Pizza popped up as often as pate on plates, while one caterer from La Reunion has won social media adulation for his gifts of cari, a spicy dish popular on the Indian Ocean island.
From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026
Then he sent me home with two bottles of his favorite sauce—one spicy, one sweet.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
During a Thursday appearance on the popular talk show — where guests answer questions while eating chicken wings with increasingly spicy sauces — the actor struggled to keep his composure.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
Mrs. Park gave us some delicious spicy soy garlic chicken bites to start with, and I ordered the kimbap.
From "Amina's Song" by Hena Khan
The protester, Seth Todd, responded with a joke, saying he had tasted "spicier tamales".
From BBC ● Dec. 27, 2025
A survey conducted online with approximately 6,000 consumers found that 65 percent of consumers said they were eating spicier foods today than they were a year ago.
From Salon ● Apr. 6, 2025
In short, researchers concluded there is some evidence of a relationship between microbes and the spiciness of mustard, but why mustard gets spicier in response to certain microbes remains unknown.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 22, 2024
Do you think your commentary has gotten spicier?
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2023
The choice is partially inspired by Stallman's recent visit to China, including a lecture stop in Guangdong province, in addition to Stallman's personal aversion to spicier Hunanese and Szechuan cuisine.
From Free as in Freedom: Richard Stallman's Crusade for Free Software by Sam Williams
One of the spiciest dishes I’ve ever tasted was at Jitlada and they have a competition surrounding it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 20, 2024
Sept. 20, Mullenweg hosted a session that he previewed as being “one of my spiciest WordCamp presentations ever.”
From Slate ● Oct. 11, 2024
Although Grande admitted that she’s not a fan of hot sauces, she remained poised throughout her interview and ultimately conquered the spiciest wing in the lineup.
From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2024
Each table has a caddy with escabeche and two salsas; the red is by far the spiciest, but the green has its own sour kick.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 25, 2019
Julia’s now redder than the spiciest hot wings.
From "A Good Kind of Trouble" by Lisa Moore Ramée
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.
