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

Marinated meats are infused with a combination of soy sauce, ginger, garlic, sesame oil and/or Korean chili paste. —Carlos Rico, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Aug. 2025

Chopped Calabrian chili peppers, fresh, thinly sliced jalapeño, or a drizzle of chili crisp can all add tons of flavor to an otherwise lackluster dinner. —Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 2 Aug. 2025

Plant seedling starts of tomatoes, squash, Persian cucumbers, eggplant, bell and chili peppers. —Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 1 Aug. 2025

Substitute meat with legumes two or three times per week in chili and soups. —Greta Cross, USA Today, 31 July 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