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

Still, the upward movement of warm air and precipitation wasn't intense enough to call the disturbance a tropical depression, the hurricane center said. —Dennis Romero, NBC News, 4 Nov. 2024

Eleven Eleven 2022 Sauvignon Blanc is made from grapes sourced from the Melrose Vineyard in the Rutherford AVA and has aromas of tropical fruits, lemon zest, and white peach that morph to flavors of pineapple, mango, pink peppercorn, and lemon pith on the palate. —Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 4 Nov. 2024

Finishing Yellowstone Select for nine weeks in rum cask barrels from Havana, Cuba, imparts notes of spice and tropical sweetness for a unique flavor profile. —Gege Reed, The Courier-Journal, 1 Nov. 2024

At home in the tropical forests of Central and South America, these bats feed on various animals, including tapirs, mountain lions, penguins, and, most often nowadays, livestock. —Sebastian Stockmaier, Discover Magazine, 31 Oct. 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