spice 1 of 2

noun

ˈspīs How to pronounce spice (audio)
Definition of spicenext
1
as in scent
a sweet or pleasant smell a cologne for men that captures all of the spice of the sea

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in flavor
something (as a spice or herb) that adds an agreeable or interesting taste to food Europe in Columbus's time imported rare and valuable spices from the Indies

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in zest
the quality or state of being stimulating to the mind or senses a new hobby will add spice to your life

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

spice

2 of 2

verb

as in to flavor
to make more pleasant to the taste by adding something intensely flavored spice the stew with more pepper

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of spice
Noun
Winning has afforded him opportunities to sell and market a line of spice rubs, sauces, glazes, seasonings, baths, brines, and injectables. — Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 July 2026 Chili powder, cumin, and cayenne give it the signature chili spice (leave out the cayenne for a milder version) while Worcestershire and tomato sauce provide savoriness. — Erin Merhar, Southern Living, 3 July 2026
Verb
Throw your odds and ends in the spacious Gassda Canvas Tote and spice up the look with edgy cat-eye sunglasses, on sale for just $15. — Aly Walansky, Travel + Leisure, 3 July 2026 Fortunately, that something can be as easy as spicing it with ginger, perfuming it with florals or smoke, or easier still and our favorite version, adding a grapefruit peel to the shaker tin before shaking on ice. — Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 4 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for spice
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spice
  1. scent
  2. flavor
  3. zest
  4. fragrance
  5. flavoring
  6. piquancy
  7. aroma
  8. tang
Noun
  • Also known as fragrance stacking, layering means mixing scents to create your own custom blend according to Almira Armstrong, founder of Lumira.
    — Reece Andavolgyi, InStyle, 6 July 2026
  • The dogs, specially trained to detect human scent, have spent days searching for people trapped beneath the rubble of nearly 200 buildings that collapsed following the two powerful back-to-back earthquakes.
    — Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 5 July 2026
Definition of scent
Noun
  • The sauce painted over the surface is thick like puree, with a vibrant, all encompassing, fresh tomato flavor.
    — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • Krispy Kreme's newest flavor inspiration comes from Girl Scout Cookies.
    — Mike Snider, USA Today, 6 July 2026
Definition of flavor
Noun
  • In a food processor or blender, combine garlic, shallots, olive oil, parsley, dill, capers, basil, lemon zest and juice.
    — Staff, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
  • Some gingerbread has been served with lemon sauce, or incorporated the zest of an orange or a little cocoa.
    — Anne Byrn, Southern Living, 2 July 2026
Definition of zest
Noun
  • Dior and Louboutin also have luxury beauty lines, while Dior and Cartier have major fragrance businesses.
    — Merle Ginsberg, HollywoodReporter, 4 July 2026
  • There was also the Run space from WSN and ANDAM, featuring 12 designers across men’s, women’s, accessories and, for the first time, fragrance.
    — Alex Wynne, Footwear News, 2 July 2026
Definition of fragrance
Noun
  • It is widely appreciated for its flavoring potential, and its fragrance has been adopted for everything from toothpaste to tea.
    — Steve Bender, Southern Living, 23 June 2026
  • Wild beavers went extinct in the UK around 400 years ago, as humans hunted them for their fur, meat and scent gland secretions, which have a musky, vanilla-like fragrance and were used as food flavoring and in perfumes.
    — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 18 June 2026
Definition of flavoring
Noun
  • Those split levels of child and adult consciousness give the film a certain piquancy, a little gap where drama can spark in a story where almost nothing really happens except a kid takes a plane ride, or several plane rides, with his mom.
    — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 16 May 2026
  • That Mann himself had written stories on gay themes added to the piquancy of the encounter.
    — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2026
Definition of piquancy
Noun
  • His-and-hers hydrotherapy facilities each have a vitality pool, aroma-steam room, sauna, ice fountain and experience showers.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 July 2026
  • Industry experts recommend choosing products based on aroma, terpenes, and considering THC as merely one factor among many.
    — Peter Su, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of aroma
Noun
  • The drink is bubbly and crisp, with that familiar tang, reminiscent of apple cider vinegar, that’s common in most kombucha varieties.
    — Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 3 July 2026
  • The tang of the sauce was eye-widening and immediate, crackling with the bright, citrusy charge of tomatillos and serrano chiles.
    — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
Definition of tang

Browse Nearby Words

sphinxlike
spice
spiced
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Spice.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spice. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on spice

Nglish: Translation of spice for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about spice

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All