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

• bawdy
• blue
• gamy
• gamey
• lewd
• off
• off-color
• off-colored
• racy
• ribald
• risqué
• salty
• suggestive

Examples of spicy in a Sentence

a spicy suggestion that earned him a slap in the face

Recent Examples on the Web

As expected, the three whiskies get progressively darker and spicier with age. —Joseph V Micallef, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024

Aurora Indica, a flavor dominated by woody, herbal, and spicy notes, is one of our favorites! —Amplified Content Studio, The Mercury News, 2 Dec. 2024

Boy Smells Hinoki Fantôme $48 $34 Nordstrom Light the Boy Smells's Hinoki Fantôme candle and enjoy up to 50 hours of spicy sweet cypress, hinoki, and oakmoss. —Annie Blackman, Allure, 29 Nov. 2024

This spicy interaction even leads to another holiday romance trope, the interrupted kiss. —Shannon Carlin, TIME, 27 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1543, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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