exotic

play

adjective ex·ot·ic \ ig-ˈzä-tik \

Definition of exotic

1 :introduced from another country :not native to the place where found

exotic plants

2 archaic :foreign, alien

3 :strikingly, excitingly, or mysteriously different or unusual

exotic flavors

4 :of or relating to striptease

exotic dancing

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exotically

play \ig-ˈzä-ti-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

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exoticness

play \ig-ˈzä-tik-nəs\ noun

See exotic defined for English-language learners

See exotic defined for kids

Examples of exotic in a Sentence

She's known for her exotic tastes.
the gradual disappearance of exotic lands in a culturally homogenized world

Recent Examples of exotic from the Web

A third corpse flower plant bloomed Monday at the U.S. Botanic Garden, making three blooms of the exotic and smelly plant in little more than a week, a coincidence that the garden staff considered to be extremely unusual.

— martin weil, Washington Post, "Third and tallest corpse flower blooms at Botanic Garden," 28 Aug. 2017
People lease exotic and collectible cars for various reasons.

— paul sullivan, New York Times, "Can’t Afford to Buy a $3 Million Ferrari Enzo? Lease One Instead," 25 Aug. 2017
Promoters gave black fighters nicknames meant to stoke exotic otherness.

— adam kilgore, chicagotribune.com, "Racial conflict sells boxing matches. Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor are its latest pitchmen.," 23 Aug. 2017
On the contrary, any early perplexities will come across as exotic, part of the fascination.

— the editors, The Atlantic, "Oprah and Ingrid Goes West: The Week in Pop-Culture Writing," 19 Aug. 2017
After the golf outing, Price wound up at a local gentleman's club and later in the company of an exotic dance, who charged more than $1,000 to Price's credit card.

— creg stephenson, AL.com, "AL.com All-Access: Where does Ole Miss rank among all-time SEC football scandals?," 25 July 2017
The exotic dance club at 3821 Main St. had managed to stay open despite redevelopment efforts for that area.

— matt campbell, kansascity, "Jacqueline Davis was bound and her body left in a ravine near the Paseo," 16 July 2017
His is not even the most exotic collection of vehicles to be found in the area.

— bill bird, Naperville Sun, "At 60, Naperville's 'airpark' subdivision still flying," 15 July 2017
Along with the macaws, Alzohairi has 15 parakeets, exotic pigeons and even a few chickens.

— alton strupp, The Courier-Journal, "A Louisville used tire shop is an unlikely sanctuary for macaws," 7 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'exotic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of exotic

Latin exoticus, from Greek exōtikos, from exō

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1599

See Words from the same year

exotic Synonyms

Synonyms

bizarro, fantastic (also fantastical), glamorous (also glamourous), marvelous (or marvellous), outlandish, romantic, strange

Antonyms

familiar, nonexotic, nonglamorous, plain-Jane, unexotic, unglamorous, unromantic

Related Words

colorful, picture-book, picturesque, quaint; alien, foreign; dark, distant, faraway, remote; alluring, captivating, enchanting, fascinating, magical

exotic

noun

Definition of exotic

1 :one (such as a plant or animal) that is exotic

2 :stripteaser

3 :exotic shorthair

See exotic defined for English-language learners

Examples of exotic in a Sentence

Some native species are being crowded out by exotics.
the botanical garden boasts an array of horticultural exotics from around the world

Recent Examples of exotic from the Web

Stacks of old tires provide a black backdrop for dabs of color from the macaws, parakeets and other exotics that live on the corner-lot business run by Safaa Alzohairi.

— alton strupp, The Courier-Journal, "A Louisville used tire shop is an unlikely sanctuary for macaws," 7 July 2017
Pitmasters compete in one of 10 categories – from best whole hog to best ribs to best exotics (think antelope).

— patrik jonsson, The Christian Science Monitor, "Ambassadors of smoke," 2 July 2017
Seth Koch, a veterinarian in Washington, D.C. who also provided eye care for exotics and large animals at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo for more than 40 years, was among the first veterinarians trained in vision care.

— National Geographic, "How Do You Do Eye Surgery on a 600-Pound Tiger?," 27 May 2017
Cruizin Chelan June 2-3 is one of the earliest car shows in the area, with downtown streets flooded with vehicles ranging from classics like Studebakers to exotics like Lotus and Jaguars.

— lake chelan chamber of commerce, The Seattle Times, "Insider tips on what to look for at classic car shows," 23 May 2017
Though the city’s biggest pet hospital, the Animal Medical Center on the Upper East Side, treats plenty of exotics, Animal General’s owners thought there was a place for a stand-alone practice where predator-prey interaction was kept to a minimum.

— andy newman, New York Times, "The Doctor Will See Your Iguana Now," 12 May 2017
Then while American eyes were dazzled by exotics, the humble ninebark was embraced and developed overseas.

— ellen nibali, baltimoresun.com, "Garden Q&A: Emerald ash borer," 4 May 2017
Check out some of our favorites above, retailing in price from $295 to $800 for specialty exotics.

— kerry pieri, Harper's BAZAAR, "Patti Hansen's Hung On U Bags: Charitable and Chic," 22 Nov. 2011
The Lip Exotics Lip Lacquer also goes for $6 and will give you a bright, high-shine wet look.

— seventeen magazine, Seventeen, "Brighten Up: Mark's Costa Rica Color Collection!," 7 May 2009