exotic

adjective

ex·ot·ic | \ ig-ˈzä-tik

Definition of exotic

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : introduced from another country : not native to the place where found exotic plants … exotic species creating havoc when introduced into new environments. — Chemical & Engineering News

2 : strikingly, excitingly, or mysteriously different or unusual exotic flavors Until very recently the alpaca was an exotic sight at county fairs and petting zoos in the metropolitan region.— Glenn Collins

3 : of or relating to striptease : involving or featuring exotic dancers exotic dancing an exotic nightclub

4 archaic : foreign, alien

exotic

noun

plural exotics

Definition of exotic (Entry 2 of 2)

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

2 : exotic dancer

3 : exotic shorthair

Other Words from exotic Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More About exotic

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Other Words from exotic

Adjective

exotically \ ig-ˈzä-ti-k(ə-)lē

\ adverb

exoticness \ ig-ˈzä-tik-nəs

\ noun

Examples of exotic in a Sentence

Adjective She's known for her exotic tastes. the gradual disappearance of exotic lands in a culturally homogenized world Noun Some native species are being crowded out by exotics. the botanical garden boasts an array of horticultural exotics from around the world

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective Over the course of the weekend, tens of thousands of people flock to the island to see what their friends have caught, or to listen to fish tales, or to give their children a look at displays of the most exotic sea creatures brought in. — al, 21 May 2021 The veteran exotic dancer (née Annie Banks) died Tuesday in her Las Vegas apartment, surrounded by fellow burlesque performers Kalani Kokonuts, Miss Redd and longtime friend and business partner, Harvey Robbins. — Glenn Garner, PEOPLE.com, 21 Apr. 2021 That may lead the reader to conclude that extraterrestrial creatures, however exotic, will resemble their Earthbound counterparts in recognizable ways. — David P. Barash, WSJ, 17 Mar. 2021 At first, Michael Slabaugh said, his daughter tried to get a job as a barmaid at the Spearmint Rhino, a strip club, through a friend who was an exotic dancer. — Mario Ariza, sun-sentinel.com, 3 Mar. 2021 The problem was encapsulated by the classic scene in The Big Short in which Steve Carrell’s character (based on investor Steve Eisman) finds out an exotic dancer has five mortgages. — David Z. Morris, Fortune, 9 Dec. 2020 From banking big bucks from the world’s biggest investors to commanding sky-high valuations, the fledgling sector—with its exotic creatures—has been in a state of hysteria. — Niharika Sharma, Quartz India, 17 Nov. 2020 With many international ports, the Great Lakes have been a dumping ground for exotic creatures that crossed the Atlantic Ocean in the ballast water of freighters. — Steve Quinn, Outdoor Life, 18 June 2020 Milwaukee police who broke into a south side building in 2010 described a herpetological house of horrors — hundreds of crocodilians, pythons, anacondas, turtles and various other exotic animals living in cramped, dark and squalid conditions. — Bruce Vielmetti, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 28 May 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun New words seemed to appear all the time — from the exotic-sounding to the common. — Anchorage Daily News, 11 Apr. 2021 Early cars can be plagued with other gremlins, and maintenance history, as with any exotic of the era, is essential in establishing value. — Robert Ross, Robb Report, 29 Mar. 2021 Asian giant hornets could also have deadly impacts on pollinators like native bee species, many of which are already suffering from competition with other exotics, Looney says. — National Geographic, 4 May 2020 Use both in exotics along with Winning Impression and My Friends Beer. — Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2020 Azaleas fall into two camps: Natives are indigenous to parts of the U.S. and lose their leaves in winter; exotics are evergreens that come primarily from Japan, and most are hybrids. — Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 22 May 2020 But the couple did not share his passion and shipped off some of his exotics to the Jardin des Plantes, the national botanical garden in Paris, where their descendants flourish today. — Kathleen Beckett, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2020 But there’s eye candy, including exotics, which are roped off, and the chance to get up close and personal with the latest current models, everything from Ford to Jaguar to Cadillac to Toyota. — Eric D. Lawrence, Detroit Free Press, 4 Jan. 2020 Her son, Nikko, 11, loves exotics, so Fotion was unhappy that those were off-limits. — Eric D. Lawrence, Detroit Free Press, 4 Jan. 2020

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.