paprika

noun

pa·​pri·​ka pə-ˈprē-kə 

pa-

: a usually mild red seasoning consisting of the dried finely ground pods of various sweet peppers

also : a sweet pepper used for making paprika

Examples of paprika in a Sentence

tomato sauce made with garlic, paprika, and pepper

Recent Examples on the Web

Loli brines the chickens overnight, then marinates them in a blend of cumin, garlic, paprika and panca chiles from Peru for two days. —Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026

Enjoy dishes such as Melon Con Jamon with watermelon, Roma tomatoes, crispy Serrano, truffle honey and goat cheese or the Bulla Burger featuring piquillo peppers, caramelized onions, Tetilla and smoked paprika fries. —Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Apr. 2026

In the casserole dish, add the coconut milk, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, maple syrup, vegetable broth, paprika, and lime juice, and whisk until completely smooth. —Kelly McCarthy, ABC News, 28 Apr. 2026

From there, the fries are spiced with Shake Shack's hot pepper blend of hot pepper blend of cayenne, garlic, and paprika. —Molly Burford, Southern Living, 28 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Hungarian, from Serbian & Croatian, from papar ground pepper, ultimately from Latin piper — more at pepper

First Known Use

1830, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for paprika

• arnica
• carica
• rebekah
• turcica
• chica

Kids Definition

paprika

noun

pa·​pri·​ka pə-ˈprē-kə 

pa-

: a mild red spice consisting of the dried finely ground fruit of various cultivated sweet peppers