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

The changes included adding a 16,000-square-foot Rooftop Garden terrace that’s packed with tropical plants and comes complete with a small swimming pool. —John Oseid, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024

Inside each one, there is a bodega, a small shop with tropical fruit and other groceries. —Kara Franker, Southern Living, 23 Dec. 2024

Finally, there’s a tennis court, a spa area, and tropical gardens that give way to meditative 180-degree views over the sea. —Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 23 Dec. 2024

With lush tropical shores that melt away into white sands and tranquil waves, Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands is beautiful enough for billionaires, and that's no exaggeration. —Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 22 Dec. 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