spice
Americannoun
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any of a class of pungent or aromatic substances of vegetable origin, as pepper, cinnamon, or cloves, used as seasoning, preservatives, etc.
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such substances collectively or as material.
Cookies without spice can be tasteless.
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a spicy or aromatic odor or fragrance.
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something that gives zest.
a spice of humor in his solemnity.
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a piquant, interesting element or quality; zest; piquancy.
The anecdotes lent spice to her talk.
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Archaic. a small quantity of something; trace; bit.
verb (used with object)
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to prepare or season with a spice or spices.
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to give zest, piquancy, or interest to by something added.
noun
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any of a variety of aromatic vegetable substances, such as ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, used as flavourings
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these substances collectively
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something that represents or introduces zest, charm, or gusto
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rare a small amount
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dialect confectionery
verb
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to prepare or flavour (food) with spices
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to introduce charm or zest into
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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spicernoun
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overspiceverb
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spiceableadjective
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spicelessadjective
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spicelikeadjective
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unspicedadjective
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well-spicedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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spicesimple
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spicessimple
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have spicedperfect
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has spicedperfect
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am spicingprogressive
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are spicingprogressive
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is spicingprogressive
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have been spicingperfect progressive
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has been spicingperfect progressive
Past
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spicedsimple
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had spicedperfect
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was spicingprogressive
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were spicingprogressive
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had been spicingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of spice
1175–1225; (noun) Middle English, aphetic form of Old French espice ( French épice ) from Latin speciēs “appearance, sort, kind” ( see species), in Late Latin (plural): “goods, wares, spices, drugs”; (verb) Middle English spicen, in part derivative of the noun, in part from Old French espicer, derivative of espice
Explanation
You can spice up your meal with chili powder — or you can spice up your room with a disco ball! Spice is usually a flavoring for food, but you can add spice to other things by jazzing them up. Spices make your food more interesting and flavorful. Something that increases the excitement in other parts of life can also be called spice, like when the rivalry between two basketball players adds spice to the game. You can spice things up when you're telling a story by adding colorful details.
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.
Taco seasoning packets may be the easiest sell in this entire lineup because they’re already what most people assume they are: a well-balanced spice blend.
From Salon • Jun. 2, 2026
That’s why I find myself reaching for them whenever a dish needs a little herbal brightness without requiring me to rummage through half the spice cabinet.
From Salon • Jun. 2, 2026
Then, in March, it agreed to break off its condiment and cooking-product business and combine it with McCormick, the spice company.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026
Meanwhile, Sumsub, which sells services to counter fraud, polled 2,000 UK dating app users and found another culprit, with 54% of the poll respondents confessing to using AI to spice up their own online profile.
From BBC • May 21, 2026
She had brought fresh bread, too, and a spice cake from the grocery.
From "Beyond the Bright Sea" by Lauren Wolk
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.
