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

Harvest Often When grown from seed, most peppers take about 70 to 85 days to fruit, although some hot pepper plants take longer to grow. —Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Dec. 2025

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

Here's a recipe for pork tenderloin with a cranberry hot pepper jelly glaze. —CBS News, 16 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