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

Coors Field brings a Rocky Mountain menu of green chili, buffalo burgers, local craft beer and Rocky Mountain oysters. — Lauren Schuster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 July 2026

Bent Buckle serves brisket sandwiches and brisket nachos, Frito Pie arrives in a paper bag topped with chili and shredded cheese, and Vaqueros builds the Elote Burger on a 10-ounce Angus patty with pepper jack, lettuce, tomato and Flamin’ Hot elote. — Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 16 July 2026

The cold appetizers pair the crunchy textures of wood-ear fungus or cucumber with a sheen of bright chili oil. — John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 15 July 2026

These type of chili buns were likely popularized in Kentucky pool halls serving the working class and, by the 1960s, were adopted by ice cream shops and drive-ins, according to the Southern Foodways Alliance. — Amanda Hancock, Louisville Courier Journal, 15 July 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 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