spice
gb/spˈaɪs/ us/spˈaɪs/
A2
English
~ 8000
fűszer, feldob, színesebbé tesz, izgalom, pikantéria, változatosság, fűszerez, szaftos részletek, biofű, Spice
NOUN
A2
1
fűszer
A2
Usage pattern:
[someone] adds [spice/spices] to [food]
Cinnamon is my favorite spice for baking.
Sütéshez a fahéj a kedvenc fűszerem.
The recipe calls for three different kinds of spice.
A recepthez három különböző fűszer kell.
He sprinkled a little spice over the soup before serving.
They import high-quality spice from India and Sri Lanka.
Learner examples
She adds spice to the rice.
Fűszert tesz a rizsbe.
This dish has a lot of spice.
Ebben az ételben sok fűszer van.
I do not like too much spice in my food.
We bought some spice at the market.
Common mistake:
Learners often confuse "spice" (a specific plant product, like cinnamon or pepper) with "spicy" (an adjective describing food that has a strong, often hot taste). Another mistake is calling fresh leafy flavorings like parsley or basil "spice"; these are usually called "herbs" in English.
Meaning
dried plant parts for flavor
Collocations
herbs and spices
|ground spices
|add spices
|spice blend
|spice rack
|a pinch of spice
Synonyms
seasoning (General term for ingredients that add flavor; can include both salt, herbs, and spices.)
Antonyms
blandness (Refers to food having little or no strong taste, the opposite effect of using spices.)
Themes
food
|daily life
|food_drink
|daily_life
Definition
A dried part of a plant, often a powder, that you add to food to give it a stronger taste or smell.
A dried seed, bark, root, or other plant part, usually ground into powder, used to add strong flavor or aroma to food.
VERB
B1
2
feldob
B1
Usage pattern:
[someone] spices [something] up
We need to spice up the presentation with some visuals.
Fel kell dobnunk a prezentációt néhány vizuális elemmel.
The director tried to spice up the script by adding more jokes.
A rendező úgy próbálta feldobni a forgatókönyvet, hogy több viccet tett bele.
They spiced up their routine by traveling somewhere new every weekend.
The editor asked her to spice up the article's opening paragraph.
Learner examples
They want to spice up the party.
Fel akarják dobni a bulit.
You should spice up your lessons with games.
Játékokkal kellene feldobnod az óráidat.
The teacher spiced up the class with a fun activity.
We spiced up our weekend with a short trip.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"make it more spice"* instead of "spice it up" or "make it more exciting." They may also forget the particle "up" and say *"spice it"* in contexts where native speakers strongly prefer "spice it up" for the figurative meaning.
Meaning
make something more exciting
Collocations
spice things up
|spice up your life
|spice up the story
|spice up the evening
|spice up the conversation
Synonyms
liven up (Very close in meaning; slightly more informal and common in spoken English.)
Antonyms
dull (To make something less exciting or interesting; opposite effect of spicing something up.)
Themes
emotions
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
|communication
Definition
To make something less boring and more fun or interesting, often by changing or adding something.
To add interest, excitement, or variety to something that is dull or ordinary, often used with "up".
NOUN
B2
3
Usage pattern:
[something] adds [spice] to [something]
Travelling alone added a bit of spice to his holiday.
Az, hogy egyedül utazott, némi izgalmat vitt a nyaralásába.
The writer included some surprising twists to give the novel more spice.
Az író néhány meglepő fordulatot is beletett, hogy több izgalmat vigyen a regénybe.
Changing jobs every few years adds spice to her career.
He felt his life had lost its spice after he retired.
Learner examples
A new hobby can add spice to your life.
Egy új hobbi változatosságot vihet az életedbe.
The game needs more spice to be fun.
A játéknak több izgalomra van szüksége, hogy szórakoztató legyen.
Small changes can give your day some spice.
The story has no spice, so the children get bored.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes try to use "spicy" for this abstract meaning and say *"My life is not spicy"* instead of "My life has no spice" or "My life is not very exciting." "Spicy" normally describes food, not general life situations.
Meaning
extra interest or excitement
Collocations
add spice to
|a bit of spice
|a touch of spice
|the spice of life
|lacking in spice
Synonyms
excitement (General word for strong interest or energy; does not always suggest small extra details in the way "spice" can.)
Antonyms
boredom (The feeling of being uninterested; a state that exists when there is no "spice.")
Themes
emotions
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
|communication
Definition
Something that makes life, an event, or a story less boring and more exciting or different.
Extra interest, excitement, or variety that makes an activity, story, or situation less dull.
VERB
B1
4
fűszerez
B1
Usage pattern:
[someone] spices [food/drink] (with [spice])
She spiced the soup with cumin and coriander.
Római köménnyel és korianderrel fűszerezte a levest.
The chef lightly spiced the fish so the natural flavor stood out.
A séf csak enyhén fűszerezte a halat, hogy érvényesüljön a természetes íze.
They traditionally spice the wine with cloves and orange peel.
He tends to over-spice his dishes, so they are often too strong.
Learner examples
My mother spices the rice with saffron.
Anyám sáfránnyal fűszerezi a rizst.
Please do not spice the food too much.
Kérlek, ne fűszerezd túl az ételt.
We spice the tea with cardamom at home.
She spiced the meat with garlic and pepper.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"put spice on"* instead of the more natural "spice" or "season" as a verb (e.g., "spice the soup" or "season the soup"). They may also confuse "spice" (a noun) with "spicy" (an adjective) and say *"spice food"* when they mean "spicy food."
Meaning
add spices to food
Collocations
spice the sauce
|spice the meat
|spice the wine
|spiced with cinnamon
|lightly spiced
|heavily spiced
Synonyms
season (Very close in meaning; can include adding salt and other flavorings, not only spices.)
Antonyms
leave plain (Colloquial description of not adding extra flavors or spices to food.)
Themes
food
|daily life
|food_drink
|daily_life
Definition
To put spices into food or a drink to give it more taste or smell.
To add spice or spices to food or drink in order to change or improve its flavor or smell.
NOUN
B2
INFORMAL
5
pikantéria
C1
Usage pattern:
[something] has (a bit of) [spice]
The film has plenty of spice but not much plot.
A filmben bőven van pikantéria, de nincs sok cselekménye.
The tabloids added extra spice to the story by hinting at an affair.
A bulvárlapok még szaftosabbá tették a történetet azzal, hogy egy viszonyra célozgattak.
Her novels are known for a little romantic spice.
He complained that the show had too much spice for family viewing.
Learner examples
The movie has a lot of spice, so it is not for children.
A filmben sok a pikantéria, ezért nem gyerekeknek való.
The magazine adds spice to the news with stories about love and sex.
A magazin szerelemről és szexről szóló történetekkel teszi szaftosabbá a híreket.
The book has some spice, but it is not very serious.
They want more spice in the TV show to get higher ratings.
Common mistake:
Learners may try to use this sense in very formal writing, where it can sound too casual or vague. They might also misunderstand it as only referring to literal food flavor, not realizing it can mean mild sexual or shocking content in media.
Meaning
mildly sexual or shocking content
Collocations
a bit of spice
|add some spice
|a touch of spice
|spice in the movie
|story lacks spice
Synonyms
naughtiness (Slightly playful word focusing more directly on sexual elements, often used in a light or humorous way.)
Antonyms
wholesomeness (Describes content that is morally clean and not sexual or shocking, the opposite kind of entertainment.)
Themes
media
|emotions
|arts_entertainment
|communication
Definition
Sexy or surprising details that make a story, movie, or talk more exciting.
Sexual, suggestive, or slightly shocking details that make a story, film, or piece of gossip more exciting.
NOUN
B2
SLANG
6
Usage pattern:
[someone] uses/buys/sells [Spice]
The government issued a warning about the dangers of Spice.
A kormány figyelmeztetést adott ki a biofű veszélyeiről.
Several people were hospitalized after smoking Spice bought online.
Többen kórházba kerültek, miután online vásárolt Spice-ot szívtak.
He was arrested for selling Spice near the school.
Doctors say Spice can cause serious mental health problems.
Learner examples
Many cities now have laws against Spice.
Sok városban ma már tiltják a biofüvet.
Some young people think Spice is safe, but it is very dangerous.
Egyes fiatalok azt hiszik, hogy a biofű biztonságos, pedig nagyon veszélyes.
He got sick after trying Spice with his friends.
The news showed people who had problems because of Spice.
Meaning
synthetic cannabinoid street drug
Collocations
use Spice
|smoke Spice
|Spice addiction
|Spice users
|Spice overdose
Synonyms
synthetic cannabis (More technical term; emphasizes that the drug is man-made and similar to cannabis in effect.)
Themes
health
|crime
|science
Definition
An illegal drug made with man-made chemicals that act like cannabis and are sold under the name "Spice".
A street name for certain synthetic cannabinoid drugs that are sprayed on plant material and smoked to produce mind-altering effects.
Grammar
Dictionary form
spice
IPA
GB/spˈaɪs/
US/spˈaɪs/
Syllables & stress
spice (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (spice)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: spice
- Plural: spice, spices
Verb
- Base: spice
- 3rd Person Singular: spices
- Present Participle: spicing
- Past: spiced
Word family
Forms
spices
noun
spicing
verb
spiced
verb
Core family
spicy
adjective A2
Related words
spiciness
noun
spicily
adverb
Expressions
a touch of spice
1/ə tˈʌt͡ʃ əv spˈaɪs/
fixed phrase
small amount of spice or interest
A small amount of extra flavor or excitement added to something.
Examples
- The sauce has a touch of spice but isn’t too hot.
- Their vacation needed a touch of spice, so they booked a surprise activity.
add a little spice
1/ˈæd ə lˈɪtəl spˈaɪs/
fixed phrase
add a small exciting element
To add a small thing that makes food or an activity more interesting or exciting.
Examples
- A new team member could add a little spice to the project.
- Chopped fresh chili will add a little spice to the dish.
spice things up
1/spˈaɪs θˈɪŋz ˈʌp/
phrasal verb
informal
make a situation livelier
To make a situation, relationship, or event more lively and fun by changing or adding something.
Examples
- They tried to spice things up in their relationship with a weekend trip.
- Let’s spice things up at work by changing how we run meetings.
spice up
1/spˈaɪs ˈʌp/
phrasal verb
make something more exciting
To make something less boring and more fun or interesting, or to make food taste stronger, by adding something extra.
Examples
- We decided to spice up the party with some live music.
- You can spice up the sauce with a bit more chili if you like.
- The producer asked them to spice up the show for the new season.
the spice of life
1/ðə spˈaɪs əv lˈaɪf/
idiom
source of added enjoyment
Something that makes life more interesting and enjoyable instead of boring.
Examples
- For her, travel is the spice of life.
- New challenges are the spice of life for many entrepreneurs.
variety is the spice of life
1/vɚˈaɪəti ˈɪz ðə spˈaɪs əv lˈaɪf/
idiom
variety makes life enjoyable
Doing or experiencing many different things makes life more interesting and enjoyable.
Examples
- "Variety is the spice of life," she said, as she chose a new hobby for the weekend.
- He travels to a new country every year, believing that variety is the spice of life.