Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
chili sauce

chili sauce

1 1.0
A spicy sauce made from peppers, tomatoes, and vinegar to add heat to food
  • noun
  • /ˈtʃɪli sɔs/
  • US
translation icon : salsa de chile
  • I want kebab, salt and pepper, extra chilli sauce, salt and vinegar on the chips.

Who the has sweet chili sauce always in their fridge?

Examples

  • We've got smoked oysters and Sriracha chili sauce and just a whole bottle of clam juice.

  • Can I have some chilli sauce for my chips, please, mate?

    He Who Dares (2014)

  • And imagine putting chili sauce on your chicken again.

  • A big fat hamburger with chili sauce.

    Making Love (1982)

  • Add a splash of chili sauce and we're in comfort-food heaven.

    Blog text (9)

  • Dried chili flakes to taste or 3 tbsp chili sauce.

    Blog text (9)

  • These flower-petal-shaped steamed pork dumplings taste gorgeous with just a few drops of Fujianese chili sauce.

    Blog text (27)

  • Within no time, they discovered a mutual love of rich foods, a desire amplified by the starchy and bland prison diet, which many inmates dress up with chili sauce bought from the commissary.

    Academic text (1997)

  • It's hard to pinpoint the kebab sauce, but I make mine with yogurt, Mayo, chili sauce, sambal, and a bit of vinegar and pressed garlic.

  • Could you please pass the chili sauce for my tacos?

Synonyms

salsa
vschili sauce
94 1.2

A spicy tomato sauce with onions and chili peppers served with Mexican food

is a general tomato-based condiment used across many cuisines
hot sauce
vschili sauce
34 1.0

A spicy sauce made from chili peppers that people add to food for heat

is a specific tomato and onion condiment simmered with vinegar and sugar
Sriracha
vschili sauce
7 4.8

A spicy chili sauce from Thailand that people put on food to add heat

is a tomato and onion based condiment rather than a pure pepper puree
Tabasco sauce
vschili sauce
1 2.8

A hot sauce that uses aged red peppers and vinegar

is milder and tomato based with added sugar and seasonings
taco sauce
vschili sauce
1 1.0

A spicy tomato sauce used on tacos

is a broader tomato and onion condiment not limited to specific dishes
diavolo
vschili sauce
1 8.0

A spicy Italian tomato sauce used on pasta or seafood

is a general tomato and onion condiment rather than an Italian pasta sauce
Tabasco
vschili sauce
1 3.9

A very spicy sauce made from aged red peppers

is tomato and onion based and contains sugar and other seasonings

How Spicy

hot sauce
34 1.0
Sriracha
7 4.8
chili sauce
  • US
1 1.0
ketchup
123 1.0

Surface Forms

chili sauce singular
chili sauces plural
chilli sauces plural
chilli sauce singular

Morphology

chili + sauce

The meaning 'a spicy condiment made from chilies' is straightforwardly compositional from 'chili' (pepper) + 'sauce' (condiment), so a learner who knows both words can infer the product. This noun-noun compound follows common cross-linguistic naming patterns for food items, making it immediately comprehensible to a B1 learner.

Etymology

Chili sauce is a very literal name: it is a sauce made from chili peppers and simple ingredients, where the hot peppers are cooked down into a red, tangy sauce. So, the name now means 'a spicy condiment' used 'to add heat' and extra flavor to food.