spicier; spiciest
1
: having the quality, flavor, or fragrance of spice
2
: producing or abounding in spices
3
4
: piquant, racy
especially : somewhat scandalous or salacious
spicy gossip
spicily adverb
spiciness noun

Examples of spicy in a Sentence

a spicy suggestion that earned him a slap in the face
Recent Examples on the Web Taking a cue from the popularity of hot honey and the wildly-successful YouTube series Hot Ones, the next generation of spicy or hybrid spicy flavors allows diners to get adventurous with their food and drink with a splash of sauce, a dip, or a drizzle, Zegler says. Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Nov. 2023 Our classic long and spicy finish with rich oak tannin rounds out the sipping experience. Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 28 Nov. 2023 Serve in a chilled glass alongside cranberry brie bites, bacon bites, spicy sweet pecans, pear-and-brie puff pastry tarts, and other holiday favorites. Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 27 Nov. 2023 Picture sweet potato crème brûlée inside the shell of a sweet potato: a rummy, spicy sweet potato caramel, and a topper of meringue. Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 27 Nov. 2023 This fragrant find features woody, spicy notes of orange blossom, ylang-ylang, sandalwood, and bourbon vanilla, a perfectly warm mix for the cold winter season ahead. Anamaria Glavan, Allure, 24 Nov. 2023 The woody, spicy cologne is perfect for the winter months, with notes of leather, tobacco, rum and vetiver. Anna Tingley, Variety, 24 Nov. 2023 Use Carbone’s spicy vodka sauce with your pasta of choice, or cook up some Momofuku chili noodles for a quick lunch. Megan Wahn, Bon Appétit, 22 Nov. 2023 Victoria Beckham Beauty Portofino ‘97 Eau de Parfum Chanel Paris-Paris Eau de Toilette Top notes of fresh lemon and tangerine with rose damascena at the heart make this the perfect feminine scent—with spicy pink pepper and woody patchouli adding dimension and depth. Kayla Greaves, Vogue, 17 Nov. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spicy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1562, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of spicy was in 1562

Dictionary Entries Near spicy

Cite this Entry

“Spicy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spicy. Accessed 10 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

spicy

adjective
spicier; spiciest
1
: flavored with or containing spice
2
: somewhat shocking or indecent
a spicy story
spicily adverb
spiciness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on spicy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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