variants
or less commonly chile
or chiefly British chilli
plural chilies also chiles or chilis or chiefly British chillies
1
a
or chili pepper
: a hot pepper of any of a group of cultivars (Capsicum annuum annuum group longum) noted for their pungency
b
chiefly British chilli
: a pepper whether hot or sweet
2
a
: a thick sauce of meat and chilies
liked to cover her spaghetti with red chili
b
: chili con carne
a bowl of chili
also
: a similar dish made without beef
vegetarian chili
seafood chili
Examples of chili in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In markets in the capital Kinshasa, tubs full of writhing white maggots line the alleyways, and women traders fry caterpillars, spiced with chili, over charcoal fires.
—
Emmet Livingstone, NPR, 20 Sep. 2025
The Le Creuset sale includes cast iron grills, Dutch ovens for all your soup, stew, and chili needs, coffee mugs, and stoneware baking dishes.
—Emily Weaver, PEOPLE, 20 Sep. 2025
The fries are hand-cut in-house and can be served plain, Cajun-style, or with bacon, cheese, or chili.
—Gege Reed, Louisville Courier Journal, 18 Sep. 2025
One day the flavor is tzatziki, the next could be peanut chili crunch.
—Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chili
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Emmet Livingstone, NPR, 20 Sep. 2025
The Le Creuset sale includes cast iron grills, Dutch ovens for all your soup, stew, and chili needs, coffee mugs, and stoneware baking dishes.
—Emily Weaver, PEOPLE, 20 Sep. 2025
The fries are hand-cut in-house and can be served plain, Cajun-style, or with bacon, cheese, or chili.
—Gege Reed, Louisville Courier Journal, 18 Sep. 2025
One day the flavor is tzatziki, the next could be peanut chili crunch.
—Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chili
Cite this Entry
“Chili.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chili. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.
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