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

Participants in the study who often consumed chilis also had a 34 percent lower chance of dying of cardiovascular disease. —Thomas Westerholm, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025

Kampachi crudo is gilded with Calabrian chili crisp, makrut lime kosho, and a snowfall of bottarga. —The Bon Appétit Staff, Bon Appetit Magazine, 12 Sep. 2025

Yeah, that's the big controversial one is the noodles with chili, onions, beans and cheese on top. —David Wysong, Cincinnati Enquirer, 11 Sep. 2025

Kelsey’s Coney Island and Deli in Bradenton opened in July with a menu that stars the coney dog — a hot dog topped with chili, onions and mustard. —Jason Dill, Miami Herald, 10 Sep. 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