Spicy
- 1.Awesome
- 2.Scandalous
Scandalous
Spicy describes something scandalous, bold, or a little risqué. It can refer to gossip, drama, or even a daring outfit or action that pushes boundaries.
While the term has long been associated with actual spice in food, its figurative meaning gained traction in pop culture and social media, particularly in the early 2000s and 2010s. Celebrities, influencers, and reality TV stars helped popularize "spicy" to describe juicy scandals or provocative behavior, making it a go-to word for anything that turns heads or stirs up controversy.
You will likely encounter spicy on platforms like TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram, often in reaction to drama-filled posts, shocking celebrity news, or bold fashion choices. Gen Zers and Millennials especially love using it in text messages, comments, and memes to highlight moments that feel a little extra.
Example

Related Slang
scandy | Scandal |
Algospeak | Slang used to bypass content filters |
Thirst trap | A provocative action, message, video, or photo |
Thirsty | Desiring a person |
Sext | Sexually explicit message |
Sugarpic | Erotic photo |
Tea | Truth |
Spill the tea | Share the gossip |
Give us the tea | Share your gossip with us |
Spill the T | Share the gossip |
Weak tea | Boring gossip |
NSFW | Not safe for work |
BookTok | TikTok users who discuss books |
Romantasy | Romance and fantasy book genre |
Spicy means cool or awesome and is similar to lit. The term plays off the spicy taste that has an extra kick and flavor to it.
Spicy is commonly used for describing objects such as clothes or cars. If it is used to describe a person it most likely means "sexy" much like how hot or hottie is used.