spicy
adj/ˈspaɪsi/
Etymology From spic(e) + -y. First attested in the 16th century.
7 senses
- 1Of, pertaining to, or containing spice.
- 2Of a flavor, provoking a burning sensation due to the…
- 3Of a food, flavor, or odor, tangy, zesty, or pungent.
- 4Of an expression or behavior, vigorous; colorful; stimulating.
- 5Scandalous.
- 6Risky; mildly aggressive or dangerous.
- 7Risqué, sexy, racy; mildly pornographic.
1
Of, pertaining to, or containing spice.
- He prepared a spicy casserole.
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.
- This place is actually known for serving the Donkatsu of Death, aka the Drop-Dead Donkatsu, by far the spiciest dish I’ve ever endured.2015 August 31, Jiyeon Lee, Sol Han, “7 super spicy South Korean dishes – and tips for eating them”, in CNN, archived from the original on 23 Apr 2019:
2 more examples
- That’s why we knew we had to get our hands on Truff’s latest launch: White Hotter. It’s an even spicier take on the fan-favorite (and perhaps our favorite), White Truffle Hot Sauce.2021 September 17, Noelle Ike, “Truff’s new white truffle hot sauce is even hotter, and perfect for amping up mealtime”, in CNN, archived from the original on 29 Aug 2022:
- “I think we are going to see a lot more of this,” said Lyons Wyatt. “There is a push now and we do see both unit and dollar growth of spicy and swicy products.”2024 June 2, Parija Kavilanz, “‘Swicy’ is the hottest trend in food right now”, in CNN Business, archived from the original on 04 Jun 2024:
3
Of a food, flavor, or odor, tangy, zesty, or pungent.
- She breathed in the strong, spicy aroma.
- The breath of the mountain heifer was fragrant as the gales of Sirendiep, by feeding on ſpicy herbs.1769, Firishta, translated by Alexander Dow, Tales translated from the Persian of Inatulla of Delhi, volume I, Dublin: P. and W. Wilson et al., page iv:
4
Of an expression or behavior, vigorous; colorful; stimulating.
- He is known for his spicy political commentary.
- When one side or the other had written any particularly spicy dispatch, news of it was sure to slip out.1847 January – 1848 July, William Makepeace Thackeray, Vanity Fair […], London: Bradbury and Evans […], published 1848, →OCLC:
6
Internet Risky; mildly aggressive or dangerous.
- Look at the little wildcub! That's one spicy ball of fur.
7
Internet Risqué, sexy, racy; mildly pornographic.
- I don't want my children to see the spicy images on this web site.
- To draw followers to the euphemistically termed “spicy” paid subscription material on OnlyFans, she has to upload free content regularly on TikTok and Instagram; […].2026 May 28, Amelia Gentleman, “The strange surveilled life of Piper Rockelle: why did a former child influencer decide to go on OnlyFans?”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
- Derived terms
- neurospicy, nonspicy, overspicy, spicily, spiciness, spicy cough, spicy pillow, spicy tooth, swicy, unspicy
- Related terms
- spiciness
- Hyponyms
- pepperlike, peppery