hot pepper

noun

: any of various small and usually thin-walled capsicum fruits of marked pungency

also : a plant (especially a variant or cultivar of Capsicum annuum and C. frutescens) bearing hot peppers

Examples of hot pepper in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Peppers Mild peppers like bell peppers mature faster than hot peppers, such as ghost peppers, but the seed-starting process is the same for all peppers. —Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Jan. 2026

Tomatoes, Eggplants, and Peppers These members of the nightshade family take several months to reach the harvest stage (some hot peppers require up to four months after transplanting). —Nadia Hassani, The Spruce, 17 Jan. 2026

Optional add-ins of dill weed, garlic powder, and hot pepper flakes are welcome. —Anne Byrn, Southern Living, 22 Dec. 2025

Wyllie said compounds such as capsaicin, which is found in hot peppers, activate the body’s heat-production process, which can help reduce cravings. —Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 20 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1945, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for hot pepper

• leper
• lepper
• stepper

Kids Definition

hot pepper

noun

1

: an often thin-walled and small pepper with a sharp or biting taste

2

: a pepper plant of the nightshade family that bears hot peppers