chili

American  

[chil-ee] / ˈtʃɪl i /

especially British, chilli

noun

• chilies
  plural

1. Sometimes chile a hearty stew that is also used as a topping condiment on other dishes and has varied recipes and ingredients, with or without meat, ultimately derived from the Mexican-style chili con carne.

2. chili con carne.

3. chile.

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• chilies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of chili

First recorded in 1655–65; from Mexican Spanish chile, from Nahuatl chīlli “chile pepper”

Explanation

A chili is a pungent, spicy pepper, and it's also the name of a delicious stew made of meat and beans that's flavored with chili powder. A chili, or chili pepper, is actually the berry of a Capsicum plant. Both fresh and dried chilis are used to add some heat and spice to all kinds of dishes, from Mexican mole to Indian curry and Thai stir-fry. They're also an important ingredient in chili con carne, the spicy stew whose name is often shortened to chili. The word derives from the Aztec chilli, "spicy pepper."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

chili chilies

Take away the rye and add fries to get Langer’s popular pastrami chili cheese fries.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2026

The flavor is unmatched, but adding a little bit more oomph to it with aromatics, whatever protein you like and some chili oil can turn it into something special.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026

From classic franks to chili dogs and perros calientes, these are the best hot dogs in Los Angeles.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026

The dry powder is more umami-heavy with notes of garlic and shiitake mushrooms and spicy, courtesy of gochugaru, or Korean red chili pepper.

From Salon ● Jul. 19, 2026

“Okay,” she said, and she turned her laptop to face them all while pulling a bowl of chili toward her.

From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro

Filipino laborers came to Mexico via colonialism, and adapted and adopted champoy with spices and chilies from Mexico to become chamoy.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026

It was painful to stand on the balcony, where I grow my tomatoes and chilies, and watch plumes of smoke rise on the horizon as puffs of interceptions appeared in the blue sky.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 6, 2026

Day laborers sort red chilies that have been dried in the scorching sunshine of India’s Andhra Pradesh state.

From Science Magazine ● Nov. 26, 2024

The combination of toasted nuts, dried chilies and aromatic spices creates a complex, robust sauce that perfectly complements the grilled tilefish.

From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2024

We passed four different spice stores, each with turmeric and chilies lining the shelves and spices in colors and with names I had never seen before.

From "Amal Unbound" by Aisha Saeed