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

Downtown also represented 11 global songwriters who took home Grammy Awards in 2024, including best traditional pop vocal album and best tropical Latin album. —Thom Duffy, Billboard, 29 Apr. 2024

Pay attention to the species of milkweed, though, since tropical milkweed can be detrimental to monarchs. —Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 29 Apr. 2024

Rooms and suites with lots of tropical touches offer garden, mountain, or ocean views, and the hotel’s restaurants serve dishes made with sustainably sourced ingredients from local vendors. —Beth Luberecki, USA TODAY, 27 Apr. 2024

Expect precipitation Kauai is generally warm and tropical year round, with substantial rain. —Alesandra Dubin, Travel + Leisure, 26 Apr. 2024

Bottlenose dolphins are found throughout tropical and temperate waters around the globe, including in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. —Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 25 Apr. 2024

The Poosh founder’s IHOP breakfast follows her tropical birthday vacation with her husband Travis Barker and their baby boy Rocky, 5 months. —Kirsty Hatcher, Peoplemag, 25 Apr. 2024

Leptospirosis is the most prevalent in tropical climates. —Syeda Khaula Saad, Verywell Health, 24 Apr. 2024

Among the herbicides is Speed Zone, which contains 2,4-D, the 50% active ingredient in Agent Orange, which was used in herbicidal warfare during the Vietnam War to remove dense tropical foliage providing enemy cover, said McCuan, who compiled a list of weed killers from AVCA records. —Scott Schwebke, Orange County Register, 19 Apr. 2024

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

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