spice
B1Neutral (common in everyday, culinary, and figurative contexts).
Definition
Meaning
A substance, such as a seed, fruit, or root, used to flavour food.
Something that adds interest, excitement, or piquancy to a situation; variety. Also, illicit drugs, especially heroin.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word exists on a literal-culinary to figurative-excitement continuum. The 'drug' sense is informal and potentially offensive.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in core meaning or usage. The compound 'spice rack' is slightly more common in UK descriptions of kitchen furniture.
Connotations
Equally positive for flavour/interest. The 'drug' connotation is recognised in both variants but is subcultural slang.
Frequency
Equal frequency in culinary contexts. Figurative use ('spice up') is very common in both.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
spice [something] (with [something])spice [something] up[something] is spiced (with [something])Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Variety is the spice of life.”
- “Spice things up.”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Metaphorical: 'The merger will spice up the competitive landscape.'
Academic
Historical/Anthropological: 'The medieval spice trade shaped global economies.'
Everyday
Culinary: 'I need to buy some spices for the curry.' Figurative: 'We need to spice up our weekly meetings.'
Technical
Culinary Science: 'The volatile oils in the spice are responsible for its aroma.'
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- She spiced the stew with cumin and coriander.
- The presenter spiced up his talk with a few humorous anecdotes.
American English
- He spiced the chili with some ancho peppers.
- They're looking to spice up the company's marketing campaign.
adjective
British English
- The spiced apple cake was a hit at the bake sale.
- They enjoyed a glass of mulled wine, a traditional spiced drink.
American English
- She brought a spiced pumpkin pie to Thanksgiving.
- I prefer spiced rum over the plain white variety.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I like food with spice.
- Cinnamon is a sweet spice.
- This recipe needs more spice.
- Travel adds spice to life.
- The chef expertly spiced the curry with a blend of traditional masalas.
- The film lacked spice and failed to hold my attention.
- The negotiations were spiced with moments of genuine tension and unexpected humour.
- His new biography provides the spice needed to revitalise the historical narrative.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
SPICE: Special Powders Improve Cooking & Excitement.
Conceptual Metaphor
INTEREST/EXCITEMENT IS SPICE (e.g., 'add spice to a relationship', 'a spicy story').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not use 'spice' to translate 'специя' in the sense of a generic 'seasoning' for salt or sugar; it is specifically for aromatic plant-based flavourings.
- The adjective 'spicy' means 'острый' (piquant/hot), not 'пряный' (which is closer to 'aromatic' or 'flavoursome').
- Avoid the informal drug-related sense in formal translation.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'spice' as a countable noun for a single type (correct: 'a spice' / 'spices') is fine, but using it as an uncountable for a mixture (e.g., 'add some spice') is also correct.
- Confusing 'spicy' (hot) with 'spiced' (having spices added).
Practice
Quiz
In the idiom 'Variety is the spice of life', what does 'spice' metaphorically represent?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, spices include non-hot flavourings like cinnamon, vanilla, and cardamom. 'Spicy' often means hot, but 'spice' is a broader category.
Yes, it means to add spice/flavour to food or, figuratively, to make something more exciting (often with 'up').
Typically, spices come from dried seeds, bark, roots, or fruits, while herbs are the fresh or dried leaves of plants.
It is recognised slang (for synthetic cannabis), but it's informal and context-dependent. The culinary sense is vastly more common in general usage.
Collections
Part of a collection
Food and Cooking
A2 · 50 words · Cooking methods, kitchen tools and recipes.