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
Taken together, those cultural threads help explain why food – and especially meat – carries an outsized symbolic role in Texas politics, where the official state dish, adopted in 1977, is chili, defined by its significant meat base.
—
Rebecca Morin, USA Today, 29 May 2026
Customers can order chili or sauerkraut toppings at the window and dress their dogs with relish – green or red pepper – and yellow mustard, stored in containers on a counter inside.
—Emily M. Olson, Hartford Courant, 28 May 2026
The sauce uses ripe red chili peppers, black truffle oil and organic agave nectar from Jalisco, Mexico.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 27 May 2026
Pop into nearby Cork wine shop on your way to Illata, a 24-seat neighborhood gem in Graduate Hospital to experience chef Aaron Randi's ever-rotating menu of small plates, like marinated mussels in miso chili oil and for dessert, a rich brown butter tart.
—Regan Stephens, Bon Appetit Magazine, 26 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for chili
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Rebecca Morin, USA Today, 29 May 2026
Customers can order chili or sauerkraut toppings at the window and dress their dogs with relish – green or red pepper – and yellow mustard, stored in containers on a counter inside.
—Emily M. Olson, Hartford Courant, 28 May 2026
The sauce uses ripe red chili peppers, black truffle oil and organic agave nectar from Jalisco, Mexico.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 27 May 2026
Pop into nearby Cork wine shop on your way to Illata, a 24-seat neighborhood gem in Graduate Hospital to experience chef Aaron Randi's ever-rotating menu of small plates, like marinated mussels in miso chili oil and for dessert, a rich brown butter tart.
—Regan Stephens, Bon Appetit Magazine, 26 May 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 1 Jun. 2026.
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