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 adverb
spicily fragrant
spiciness noun
the spiciness of black pepper

Examples of spicy in a Sentence

a spicy suggestion that earned him a slap in the face
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In 2018, PepsiCo ran a single ad that touted a new spicy iteration of Doritos and a new lemon-lime variant of Mountain Dew. Brian Steinberg, Variety, 3 Jan. 2025 The vegan wrap combines smashed falafel, hummus, roasted red peppers, pickled onions and a spicy herb sauce inside a lavash flatbread which fans might recognize from the Spinach, Feta and Egg White Wrap. Sabrina Weiss, People.com, 2 Jan. 2025 The sweet and spicy fusion of the dark brown glaze. Irvin Zhang, Kansas City Star, 2 Jan. 2025 There's plenty of spicy mustard, mango and lime-avocado puree to soak it all up. Megan Stringer, Axios, 2 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for spicy 

Word History

First Known Use

1543, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of spicy was in 1543

Dictionary Entries Near spicy

Cite this Entry

“Spicy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spicy. Accessed 11 Jan. 2025.

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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