spicy

adjective

ˈspī-sē 

spicier; spiciest

1

: having the flavor, fragrance, or quality of spice

a spicy perfume

especially : containing strong spices : piquant, zesty

spicy foods

2

: producing or abounding in spices

… the spicy isles of the Indies …

—Thomas G. Gentry born 1843

A tale of heroic misadventure followed, spiriting me from 16th-century Cornwall to the spicy shores of North Africa.

—Sophie Gee

3

: lively, spirited

a spicy temper

4

: engagingly provocative : racy

spicy language

especially : somewhat scandalous or salacious

spicy gossip

spicily

ˈspī-sə-lē 

adverb

spicily fragrant

spiciness

ˈspī-sē-nəs 

noun

the spiciness of black pepper

Synonyms of spicy

• suggestive
• blue
• salty

Examples of spicy in a Sentence

a spicy suggestion that earned him a slap in the face

Recent Examples on the Web

Three specialty pizzas for July celebrate the warmth of summer, with a vegetarian arugula salad variant ($29), a chicken salsa verde pie ($31) and a spicy coppa pizza ($27). — Camila Pedrosa july 10, Sacbee.com, 10 July 2026

Chloé, Saint Laurent, and Ferragamo showed us how easy tonal dressing can be, pairing separates in the same range of spicy hues. — Rosie Jarman, Vogue, 10 July 2026

The chef’s special is an Empanada Sampler, $15, featuring an assortment of beef, chicken and spicy elote/queso varieties. — Linda Zavoral, Mercury News, 9 July 2026

Add zip to the middle of the week with spicy tacos everyone will look forward to. — Jenna Sims, Southern Living, 8 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1543, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for spicy

• dicey
• icy
• pricey
• devisee
• theodicy

Kids Definition

spicy

adjective

ˈspī-sē 

spicier; spiciest

1

: flavored with or containing spice

2

: somewhat shocking or indecent

a spicy story

spicily

-sə-lē 

adverb

spiciness

-sē-nəs 

noun