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.
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 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 17 Dec. 2024.

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
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!