Spicy Meaning
/ˈspaɪsi/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
adjOf, pertaining to, or containing spice.
adjOf a flavor, provoking a burning sensation due to the presence of capsaicin or a similar chemical.
Sentence Examples
Korean food is generally very spicy.
Korean food is noted for its spicy flavor.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The curry was so ____ that I had to drink a glass of milk to cool my mouth.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
I love ____ food, but my brother prefers milder dishes that don't have so much chili pepper in them.
Word Origin & History
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *speḱ- Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *spéḱyeti Proto-Italic *spekjō Late Latin speciō Proto-Italic *-jēs Late Latin -iēs Late Latin speciēs Old French espicebor. Anglo-Norman specebor. Middle English spice English spic(e) Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Germanic *-gaz Proto-West Germanic *-g Old English -iġ Middle English -y English -y English spicy From spic(e) + -y. First attested in the 16th century.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"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:
"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:
"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:
"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:
Explore More B1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The curry was so ____ that I had to drink a glass of milk to cool my mouth.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
I love ____ food, but my brother prefers milder dishes that don't have so much chili pepper in them.