tropical

adjective

trop·​i·​cal
for sense 1
ˈträ-pi-kəl How to pronounce tropical (audio)
for sense 2
ˈtrō- How to pronounce tropical (audio)
also
ˈträ- How to pronounce tropical (audio)
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
tropically adverb

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Parts of southeast Texas could see storms this week due to a tropical disturbance that recently moved through the Gulf. Marley Malenfant, Austin American Statesman, 22 July 2025 To step inside your private bungalow, available in one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and three-bedroom layouts, feels like stepping inside a gingerbread house with a tropical twist. Carley Rojas Ávila, Forbes.com, 18 July 2025 Shanghai Sunset: Bright peach and tropical fruit flavors shine in this vibrant sparkling hard seltzer. Jess Fleming, Twin Cities, 18 July 2025 The colorful music video, set in the vibrant streets of Cartagena, Colombia, stars model Ariadna Gutiérrez and truly captures the song’s tropical joy and essence. Griselda Flores, Billboard, 18 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for tropical

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of tropical was in 1671

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tropical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tropical. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

tropical

adjective
trop·​i·​cal ˈträp-i-kəl How to pronounce tropical (audio)
: of, relating to, occurring in, or used in the tropics
tropically adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on tropical

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