Spicy

//ˈspaɪsi// adj, slang

adj, slang ·Common ·High school level

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    Of, pertaining to, or containing spice.

    "He prepared a spicy casserole."

  2. 2
    Of a flavor, provoking a burning sensation due to the presence of capsaicin or a similar chemical.

    "This curry is too spicy for me. I can't eat it."

  3. 3
    Of a food, flavor, or odor, tangy, zesty, or pungent.

    "She breathed in the strong, spicy aroma."

  4. 4
    Of an expression or behavior, vigorous; colorful; stimulating.

    "He is known for his spicy political commentary."

  5. 5
    Scandalous. idiomatic, informal

    "When one side or the other had written any particularly spicy dispatch, news of it was sure to slip out."

Show 2 more definitions
  1. 6
    Risky; mildly aggressive or dangerous. Internet

    "Look at the little wildcub! That's one spicy ball of fur."

  2. 7
    Risqué, sexy, racy; mildly pornographic. Internet

    "I don't want my children to see the spicy images on this web site."

Adjective
  1. 1
    suggestive of sexual impropriety wordnet
  2. 2
    producing a burning sensation on the taste nerves wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms
hotpiquantrisqueambrosialaromaticbalmy

Example

More examples

"Korean food is generally very spicy."

Etymology

From spic(e) + -y. First attested in the 16th century.

Related phrases

spicy coughspicy pillowspicy tooth

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.