adjective
also spicey ˈspīsē, -si
( spicier ; spiciest )
Etymology: spice (I) + -y
1. : having the quality of spice
a spicy flavor
clams had steamed in spicy seaweed — Marcia Davenport
2. : flavored with spice : spiced
spicy foods
3. : producing or abounding in spices
spicy islands
4. : having a fragrance suggestive of spices : aromatic
blossoms of fervid hue and spicy fragrance — Nathaniel Hawthorne
the sky is clear and clean, the air spicy — A.E.Coppard
swampland, spicy with the odor of pine and cedar — American Guide Series: North Carolina
5. : spirited , peppery , zestful
the spicy and brisk quality of this adorable autocrat is indicated by well-chosen quotations — Agnes de Mille
a spicy temper
6. : piquant , racy
uttering his famous shrill whistle and a variety of spicy language — Current Biography
especially : somewhat scandalous or salacious
resisted every temptation to say spicy things in the footnotes — C.R.Sanders
spicy gossip
spicy magazines
Synonyms: see pungent