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

The 24-hour flagship location on Beverly and Rampart is the perfect spot to score a chili cheeseburger on your way home from the latest Angel City game at BMO. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Sep. 2026

John DeLucie, for example, grilled up rack of lamb, while Andrew Rea, also known as Babish, offered spicy chili-garlic noodles and Guinness shepherd’s pie. — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 17 Sep. 2026

Turkey and White-Bean Chili Chili purists say there’s no place for beans in real chili, but since this recipe already bucks tradition by using turkey instead of ground beef, all bets are off. — Riley Wofford, Martha Stewart, 17 Sep. 2026

Jump to recipe Think of this pot pie as chili and cornbread in one scoop. — Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 16 Sep. 2026

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 crisp
• chili dog
• chili oil
• chili powder
• chili sauce
• chili verde
• 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