tropical

adjective

trop·​i·​cal

for sense 1

ˈträ-pi-kəl 

for sense 2

ˈtrō- 

also

ˈträ- 

1

a

: of, relating to, occurring in, or suitable for use in the tropics

tropical forests

a tropical disease

b

: of, being, or characteristic of a region or climate that is frost-free with temperatures high enough to support year-round plant growth given sufficient moisture

tropical Florida

2

: figurative sense 2

tropically

ˈträ-pi-k(ə-)lē 

ˈtrō-

adverb

Synonyms

• equatorial
• low

Examples of tropical in a Sentence

wanted to escape winter and visit some tropical location where freezing to death would not be a possibility

an author given to high-flown tropical phrasings and convoluted symbology

Recent Examples on the Web

Even Seattleites, New Englanders, and tropical South Floridians recommend it. —Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 5 Apr. 2025

Her travel writing has taken her to rainforests, remote tropical islands, and the red carpets of Cannes. —Felicity Carter, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025

Almost Paradise starred Christian Kane — who also co-starred on Leverage — as Alex Walker, a former U.S. DEA agent who, after his partner’s betrayal and a life-threatening battle with hypertension, is forced into early retirement and relocates to a small tropical island in the Philippines. —Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 4 Apr. 2025

For one, the U.S. climate limits the production of some staples of the U.S. diet, such as coffee, cocoa and tropical fruits, according to the CBA. —Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 3 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

(sense 1) Middle English tropikal "pertaining to the three circles of the celestial sphere (the two tropics and the equinoctial circle)," from tropik tropic entry 1 + -al -al entry 1; (sense 2) Latin tropicus "pertaining to figures of speech" (borrowed from Greek tropikós, from trópos "figurative expression, trope" + -ikos -ic entry 1) + -al entry 1

First Known Use

1671, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing tropical

• tropical aquarium
• tropical cyclone
• tropical fish
• tropical oil
• tropical rainforest
• tropical sprue
• tropical storm

Rhymes for tropical

• topical
• intertropical
• microscopical
• neotropical
• subtropical

Kids Definition

tropical

adjective

trop·​i·​cal ˈträp-i-kəl 

: of, relating to, occurring in, or used in the tropics

tropically

-k(ə-)lē 

adverb