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

Hurricanes, tropical depressions, and 60-mile-per-hour nor’easter winds strong enough to bury cars in sand: The Outer Banks have seen it all. —Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 11 Mar. 2025

Go green Glossy green tile pops against a tropical wallpaper motif selected by Hattie Sparks Interiors. —Kathryn O'Shea-Evans, Architectural Digest, 11 Mar. 2025

So far, tropical single-spined scorpionfish have been found at three islands in the South Pacific Ocean: Australia’s Lord Howe Island, French Polynesia’s Austral Islands and the Pitcairn Islands, a British overseas territory, the study said. —Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 10 Mar. 2025

Go deeper: NoDa Company Canteen expands to a new tropical brick and mortar location in Camp North End Olde Mecklenburg Brewery The vibe: One of Charlotte's oldest breweries. —Mckenzie Rankin, Axios, 10 Mar. 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