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
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Informal. full of spirit; lively.
adjective
-
seasoned with or containing spice
-
highly flavoured; pungent
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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:
A defiant Infantino will come face to face with some of his fiercest critics at what could be a spicy gathering in Zurich.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
One of my brothers splashes vinegary house hot sauce into the spicy.
From Salon ● Oct. 7, 2026
I like the sundubu-jjigae, spicy tofu stew at Surawon Tofu House.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
Spicy, sweet and curiously chewy, Chinese latiao -- literally "spicy strips" -- are made by cooking wheat flour dough at a high temperature and pressure.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
I nod and take a bite of my keema, remembering the time my uncle told me that the spicy minced meat was his favorite dish when he was a kid.
From "Amina's Song" by Hena Khan
A month into its chai overhaul, Starbucks relented ever so slightly, stripping out water to help make the hot drink creamier and spicier again.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
Dave’s Hot Chicken has adopted a similar premise for its spicier entry into the market, but for many Caniacs, nothing beats the stripped-down glory of the original.
From Slate ● Aug. 24, 2026
Your mileage may vary, but know that the best gingerbread cookie in Disneyland is actually inside the park at the Harbor Galley, where the cookies are smaller and rounder but also spicier and chewier.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 19, 2025
Bread & butter pickles aren’t an ideal choice, but they could work for a spicier lemonade that incorporates cayenne pepper and jalapeños.
From Salon ● Aug. 29, 2025
The difficulty of passing these from hand to hand only made the reading—and the writing—the spicier.
From The Grey Wig: Stories and Novelettes by Israel Zangwill
Ema kam is a dried red chili, and the spiciest used in ema datshi.
From Salon ● Jan. 15, 2026
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
Justices’ spiciest spoken words are usually in their written dissents, but occasionally what they say in their oral summary is memorable.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 3, 2020
Julia’s now redder than the spiciest hot wings.
From "A Good Kind of Trouble" by Lisa Moore Ramée
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