tropical

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adjective trop·i·cal \ for sense 1 ˈträ-pi-kəl , for sense 2 ˈtrō- also ˈträ- \

Definition of tropical

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

[Latin tropicus, from Greek tropikos, from tropos trope]

:figurative 2

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tropically

play \-pi-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

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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 of tropical from the Web

Harvey, now a tropical storm, is expected to reach Southern Indiana and central Kentucky Thursday night, bringing a potential for heavy rain and winds along with it.

— darcy costello, The Courier-Journal, "Tropical Storm Harvey expected to reach Louisville Thursday night, bringing rain and winds," 30 Aug. 2017
This is the most rain ever recorded in the continental United States from a tropical cyclone.

— robinson meyer, The Atlantic, "Hurricane Harvey Is the Rainiest Atlantic Hurricane Ever Measured," 29 Aug. 2017
Harvey made landfall in Texas late Friday as a Category 4 hurricane and has lingered just off the coast, dropping heavy rain as a tropical storm.

— Cincinnati.com, "FOX19 NOW partners with American Red Cross for hurricane relief telethon," 28 Aug. 2017
Currently a tropical depression, Harvey was 460 miles (740 kilometers) southeast of Port Mansfield, Texas, with top winds of 35 miles per hour, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said in its 5 p.m. advisory.

— brian k sullivan, Bloomberg.com, "Harvey Could Be First Hurricane to Strike Texas Since 2008," 23 Aug. 2017
There was a Day-Date President in white gold with a silver linen dial, a Submariner Big Crown with a two-line dial, and an Explorer with a tropical dial.

— zachary prell, Town & Country, "Zachary Prell on His Love Affair with Luxury Watches," 17 Aug. 2017
There were 93 tropical cyclones across the globe, 13 percent more than normal.

— seth borenstein, chicagotribune.com, "2016 weather report: Extreme and anything but normal," 10 Aug. 2017
That’s particularly troubling because even a tropical storm can cause major coastal flooding.

— jennifer kay, The Seattle Times, "Insurer: Miami is more vulnerable to hurricanes like Andrew," 9 Aug. 2017
That tropical wave, Invest 99L, hasn't done a whole lot in the past 24 hours, the hurricane center said.

— leigh morgan, AL.com, "Hurricane forecasters watching two tropical waves -- could one become Franklin soon?," 5 Aug. 2017

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