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 of tropical

• subtropical
• equatorial

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

In the tropical Pacific, Copernicus says El Nino continues to strengthen, with the sea surface temperature in the region that scientists use as the primary benchmark for monitoring and defining the climate pattern reaching an all-time high. — Matthew Glasser, ABC News, 6 Nov. 2026

Toward the end, the tropical bolero suddenly morphs into a lilting bossa nova segment — almost as if the record itself chose to embrace the power of beauty over chaos and satire. — Ernesto Lechner, Rolling Stone, 5 Nov. 2026

The primary bedroom has its own balcony overlooking the tropical landscaping. — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 5 Nov. 2026

Most recently, Zeta-Jones marked her husband’s 82nd birthday and her 57th in September 2026 by posting a photo of them kissing in tropical blue waters. — Danielle Long, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2026

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

Rhymes for tropical

• topical
• intertropical
• neotropical
• subtropical

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