chili

noun

ˈchi-lē 

variants or less commonly chile or chiefly British chilli

plural chilies also chiles or chilis or chiefly British chillies

1

a

or chili pepper : a hot pepper of any of a group of cultivars (Capsicum annuum annuum group longum) noted for their pungency

b

chiefly British chilli : a pepper whether hot or sweet

2

a

: a thick sauce of meat and chilies

liked to cover her spaghetti with red chili

b

: chili con carne

a bowl of chili

also : a similar dish made without beef

vegetarian chili

seafood chili

Examples of chili in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Who wouldn't love to sit down to a warm bowl of chili piled with cheese and avocado? —Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 17 Aug. 2025

The chili verde is soft and succulent and the plump chicken pairs well with any of the three salsas brought to the table. —Roger Naylor, AZCentral.com, 14 Aug. 2025

That leaves more room for people to pick lower-impact dishes—such as lentil chili or cauliflower curry—on other days. —Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Aug. 2025

Marinated meats are infused with a combination of soy sauce, ginger, garlic, sesame oil and/or Korean chili paste. —Carlos Rico, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Spanish chile, from Nahuatl chīlli

First Known Use

1604, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing chili

• chili con carne
• chili con queso
• chili dog
• chili powder
• chili sauce
• ghost chili

Rhymes for chili

• billie
• billy
• chilli
• chilly
• dilly
• filly
• frilly
• gillie
• gilly
• hilly
• lily
• philly

Kids Definition

chili

noun

variants also chile or chilli

ˈchil-ē

plural chilies also chiles or chilis or chillies

1

: hot pepper sense 1

2

: chili con carne

Geographical Definition

Chili

geographical name

ˈchi-lē 

—former, especially British name for Chile or for the once poorly defined Andes border region between Chile and Argentina