chili

noun

ˈchi-lē 

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

Bring the timeless look to your kitchen for bowls of your own homemade chili with this four-piece set—they’re made of ceramic that’s oven-safe for higher temperatures and glazed to maintain their rich warm color after years of regular use. —Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 8 Nov. 2025

Kylie tries to sneak in lunch – a bowl of chili from which her kids picked out the avocados – to steal away for our Zoom call. —Laura Trujillo, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025

The magazine writes that Cincinnati has one of the most exciting culinary scenes in the region, as well, mentioning our beloved chili. —Haadiza Ogwude, Cincinnati Enquirer, 6 Nov. 2025

Stir collard or mustard greens into your favorite soup, stew, or chili. —Carrie Madormo, Verywell Health, 6 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Spanish chile, from Nahuatl chīlli

First Known Use

1604, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing chili

• chili con carne
• chili con queso
• chili dog
• chili powder
• chili sauce
• ghost chili

Rhymes for chili

• billie
• billy
• chilli
• chilly
• dilly
• filly
• frilly
• gillie
• gilly
• hilly
• lily
• philly

Kids Definition

chili

noun

variants also chile or chilli

ˈchil-ē

plural chilies also chiles or chilis or chillies

1

: hot pepper sense 1

2

: chili con carne

Geographical Definition

Chili

geographical name

ˈchi-lē 

—former, especially British name for Chile or for the once poorly defined Andes border region between Chile and Argentina