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

Freezing chili is an excellent way to save leftovers or prepare for busy weeks in advance. —Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 1 Jan. 2026

These bite-size minis have a sweet-spicy glaze flavored with Korean chili paste, apricot preserves, and soy sauce. —Holly Riordan, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Dec. 2025

Amateur chefs will compete in a chili cook-off for prizes, including people’s choice award and hottest chili. —Abby Hamblin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Dec. 2025

Splendid Spoon does it right texture-wise, focusing on spicy, aromatic, bean soups and chilis like cauliflower tikka soup and tomato quinoa chili. —Molly Higgins, Wired News, 28 Dec. 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