variants
or less commonly chile
or chiefly British chilli
plural chilies also chiles or chilis or chiefly British chillies
1
a
or chili pepper
: a hot pepper of any of a group of cultivars (Capsicum annuum annuum group longum) noted for their pungency
b
chiefly British chilli
: a pepper whether hot or sweet
2
a
: a thick sauce of meat and chilies
liked to cover her spaghetti with red chili
b
: chili con carne
a bowl of chili
also
: a similar dish made without beef
vegetarian chili
seafood chili
Examples of chili in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Top that griddled pork-and-beef frank with your favorite fine-ground beef chili for hot dogs, then layer on a generous scoop of slaw from end to end.
—
Karla Walsh, Southern Living, 13 Mar. 2026
Curry often contains other anti-inflammatory ingredients, like coconut milk and chili, which can also help reduce inflammation.
—Angelica Bottaro, Verywell Health, 12 Mar. 2026
The Grand Canyon contributes blue-corn pancakes with pine nut-honey butter, and Wyoming’s Grand Teton a Signal Mountain wild-game chili.
—John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2026
Carefully remove ramekins/bowls from the steamer using tongs, place on a plate and finish with a drizzle of chili oil or generous spoonful of chili crisp.
—Gretchen McKay, Boston Herald, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for chili
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Karla Walsh, Southern Living, 13 Mar. 2026
Curry often contains other anti-inflammatory ingredients, like coconut milk and chili, which can also help reduce inflammation.
—Angelica Bottaro, Verywell Health, 12 Mar. 2026
The Grand Canyon contributes blue-corn pancakes with pine nut-honey butter, and Wyoming’s Grand Teton a Signal Mountain wild-game chili.
—John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2026
Carefully remove ramekins/bowls from the steamer using tongs, place on a plate and finish with a drizzle of chili oil or generous spoonful of chili crisp.
—Gretchen McKay, Boston Herald, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for chili
Cite this Entry
“Chili.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chili. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
