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 menu changes seasonally, but expect fresh small plates like mango salad with avocado, muscadine, chili crisp, and peanuts or shishito peppers with trout roe, sorghum vinaigrette, and hazelnut.
—
Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 23 Dec. 2025
The WhistlePig team seasoned barrels with their own version of pulque made from cacao and chili peppers, then filled them with aged rye to finish for a couple of weeks before bottling the whiskey as a cask-strength, single-barrel expression.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 22 Dec. 2025
Indeed, the 13 Going on 30 star already shared a few recipes for beef bourguignon, sweet potato and black bean chili, pumpkin maple muffins, and more on her brand new YouTube channel.
—Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 22 Dec. 2025
Chorizo chili hot dogs leaning on Mexican oregano and cilantro or curry chicken pasta salad—punchy explorations to foster connections that bring me closer to my version of home.
—Bon Appétit Test Kitchen, Bon Appetit Magazine, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chili
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Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 23 Dec. 2025
The WhistlePig team seasoned barrels with their own version of pulque made from cacao and chili peppers, then filled them with aged rye to finish for a couple of weeks before bottling the whiskey as a cask-strength, single-barrel expression.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 22 Dec. 2025
Indeed, the 13 Going on 30 star already shared a few recipes for beef bourguignon, sweet potato and black bean chili, pumpkin maple muffins, and more on her brand new YouTube channel.
—Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 22 Dec. 2025
Chorizo chili hot dogs leaning on Mexican oregano and cilantro or curry chicken pasta salad—punchy explorations to foster connections that bring me closer to my version of home.
—Bon Appétit Test Kitchen, Bon Appetit Magazine, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chili
Cite this Entry
“Chili.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chili. Accessed 28 Dec. 2025.
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