spicy en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- (Southern-England) audio
- /ˈspaɪsi/
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *speḱ- Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *spéḱyeti Proto-Italic *spekjō Latin speciō Proto-Italic *-jēs 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.
Meanings
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Of, pertaining to, or containing spice.
He prepared a spicy casserole.
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Of a flavor, provoking a burning sensation due to the presence of capsaicin or a similar chemical.
“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: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: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:
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Of a food, flavor, or odor, tangy, zesty, or pungent.
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:She breathed in the strong, spicy aroma.
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Of an expression or behavior, vigorous; colorful; stimulating.
He is known for his spicy political commentary.
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(idiomatic, informal) Scandalous.
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:
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(Internet) Risky; mildly aggressive or dangerous.
Look at the little wildcub! That's one spicy ball of fur.
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(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:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| spicier | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| spicey | alternative | lexicographic | |
| spiciest | Degree=Sup | lexicographic |
Antonyms
bland · unspicy · mild · spiceless
Deriveds
overspicy · nonspicy · spicy cough · spicy white · spicy tooth · spiciness · spicily · swicy · neurospicy · unspicy · spicy pillow
Hypernyms
Hyponyms
Relateds
Synonyms
tangy · piquant (provoking a burning sensation) · spicy · pungent · zesty · hot (provoking a burning sensation) · fiery (provoking a burning sensation) · spicy-hot (provoking a burning sensation)
Translations (172)
hu csípős (providing a burning sensation due to chilies and other spices) · uz achchiq (tangy or pungent) · el καυτός (racy) · acw حار (providing a burning sensation due to chilies and other spices) · pl pikantny (racy) · ru о́стрый (providing a burning sensation due to chilies and other spices) · ja 辛い (tangy or pungent) · hi मसालेदार (tangy or pungent) · oc picant (providing a burning sensation due to chilies and other spices) · tl maanghang (providing a burning sensation due to chilies and other spices) · de scharf (providing a burning sensation due to chilies and other spices) · ky ачуу (tangy or pungent) · nb sterk (tangy or pungent) · fr épicé (tangy or pungent) · pt apimentado (tangy or pungent) · qu jaya (tangy or pungent) · da krydret (tangy or pungent) · nl pikant (providing a burning sensation due to chilies and other spices) · el ζωηρός (vigorous, colorful) · nl pikant (racy) · sh ljut (tangy or pungent) · ru пря́ный (tangy or pungent) · fi pisteliäs (vigorous, colorful) · cmn 辛辣 (tangy or pungent) · de pikant (racy) · ar حَارّ (tangy or pungent) · ar مُتَبَّل (tangy or pungent) · ar حِرِّيف (tangy or pungent) · mi puhahana (providing a burning sensation due to chilies and other spices) · cs ostrý (providing a burning sensation due to chilies and other spices) · it piccante (tangy or pungent) · ja スパイシー (tangy or pungent) · fi pistävä (tangy or pungent) · tl maanghang (tangy or pungent) · it piccante (providing a burning sensation due to chilies and other spices) · ar حَار (providing a burning sensation due to chilies and other spices) · el αψύς (tangy or pungent) · cy sbeislyd (providing a burning sensation due to chilies and other spices) · my စပ် (tangy or pungent) · bg пиперлив (vigorous, colorful) · nl pittig (tangy or pungent) · ko 맵다 (tangy or pungent) · es alampante (providing a burning sensation due to chilies and other spices) · tr baharatlı (tangy or pungent) · et vürtsikas (tangy or pungent) · pl pikantny (tangy or pungent) · vi cay (providing a burning sensation due to chilies and other spices) · de pikant (tangy or pungent) · ru о́стрый (tangy or pungent) · fa-ira تُنْد (tangy or pungent) · hu borsos (vigorous, colorful) · sl začinjen (tangy or pungent) · kk ащы (tangy or pungent) · scn pizzulenti (racy) · lv ass (tangy or pungent) · uk го́стрий (tangy or pungent) · sv skarp (tangy or pungent) · uk пря́ний (tangy or pungent) · za manh (tangy or pungent) · ja 辛口の (vigorous, colorful) · th เผ็ด (tangy or pungent) · ja 辛い (providing a burning sensation due to chilies and other spices) · ar حار (providing a burning sensation due to chilies and other spices) · ms pedas (tangy or pungent) · ug ئاچچىق (tangy or pungent) · sv stark (tangy or pungent) · ro iute (providing a burning sensation due to chilies and other spices) · pl ostry (providing a burning sensation due to chilies and other spices) · cs ostrý (tangy or pungent) · ro picant (tangy or pungent) · bg пика́нтен (racy) · tg тунд (tangy or pungent) · km ហឹរ (tangy or pungent) · lo ເຜັດ (tangy or pungent) · bn মশলাদার (tangy or pungent) · nb pikant (tangy or pungent) · fi tulinen (providing a burning sensation due to chilies and other spices) · ur مَسالے دار (tangy or pungent) · be во́стры (tangy or pungent) · bg парлив (vigorous, colorful) · cs pikantní (tangy or pungent) · mi kakā (providing a burning sensation due to chilies and other spices) · ar حَرَّاق (providing a burning sensation due to chilies and other spices) · ja とげのある (vigorous, colorful) · mk лут (tangy or pungent) · da pikant (tangy or pungent) · yue 辣 (tangy or pungent) · hu fűszeres (tangy or pungent) · hi तीखा (tangy or pungent) · sl pekoč (tangy or pungent) · fr piquant (tangy or pungent) · ur تیز (tangy or pungent) · ru энерги́чный (vigorous, colorful) · hy կծու (providing a burning sensation due to chilies and other spices) · de würzig (tangy or pungent) · cmn 辣 (tangy or pungent) · mk пика́нтен (tangy or pungent) · he חריף (providing a burning sensation due to chilies and other spices) · bo ཁ་ཚ་པོ (tangy or pungent) · mns-nor пе̄лп (providing a burning sensation due to chilies and other spices) · acw بيحْرِق (providing a burning sensation due to chilies and other spices) · qu haya (tangy or pungent) · nl pikant (tangy or pungent) · bg лют (tangy or pungent) · sv kryddig (tangy or pungent) · ga láidir (tangy or pungent) · ru живо́й (vigorous, colorful) · lt aštrus (tangy or pungent) · cy sbeislyd (tangy or pungent) · et pikantne (tangy or pungent) · sk pikantný (tangy or pungent) · fi pornahtava (racy) · apc حار (providing a burning sensation due to chilies and other spices) · ms pedas (providing a burning sensation due to chilies and other spices) · pt picante (providing a burning sensation due to chilies and other spices) · ru неприли́чный (racy) · acw حَرَّاق (providing a burning sensation due to chilies and other spices) · id pedas (providing a burning sensation due to chilies and other spices) · uz oʻtkir (tangy or pungent) · hu zamatos (vigorous, colorful) · he חָרִיף (tangy or pungent) · da stærk (tangy or pungent) · sv kryddstark (tangy or pungent) · tr acı (tangy or pungent) · mn халуун (tangy or pungent) · hy կծու (tangy or pungent) · scn mprisiusu (racy) · nl scherp (providing a burning sensation due to chilies and other spices) · az ədviyyəli (tangy or pungent) · yue 辛辣 (tangy or pungent) · is sterkur (providing a burning sensation due to chilies and other spices) · mi pūhahana (tangy or pungent) · vi cay (tangy or pungent) · khb ᦵᦕᧆ (tangy or pungent) · ga te (providing a burning sensation due to chilies and other spices) · nb krydret (tangy or pungent) · ar حار (providing a burning sensation due to chilies and other spices) · mk пика́нтен (racy) · ru пика́нтный (racy) · gd spìosrach (providing a burning sensation due to chilies and other spices) · ca picant (tangy or pungent) · acw حار (providing a burning sensation due to chilies and other spices) · ca picant (providing a burning sensation due to chilies and other spices) · es picante (tangy or pungent) · my မာလာ (tangy or pungent) · sh љут (tangy or pungent) · hu pikáns (racy) · afb سبايسي (providing a burning sensation due to chilies and other spices) · ja 刺激的な (racy) · id pedas (tangy or pungent) · sk ostrý (tangy or pungent) · sv pikant (tangy or pungent) · az tünd (providing a burning sensation due to chilies and other spices) · pl ostry (tangy or pungent) · ro picant (racy) · fr pimenté (tangy or pungent) · de scharf (tangy or pungent) · es picoso (providing a burning sensation due to chilies and other spices) · sl pikanten (tangy or pungent) · tr çeşnili (tangy or pungent) · acw حَرَّاق (providing a burning sensation due to chilies and other spices) · pt picante (tangy or pungent) · cmn 辣 (providing a burning sensation due to chilies and other spices) · el τολμηρός (racy) · ms gatal (racy) · ka ცხარე (tangy or pungent) · scn ardenti (providing a burning sensation due to chilies and other spices) · sq pikant (tangy or pungent) · is sterkur (tangy or pungent) · ur تِیکھا (tangy or pungent) · ccc chawa (tangy or pungent) · bg пика́нтен (providing a burning sensation due to chilies and other spices)