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

The open-air lobby catches the island's ever-present breeze and looks out over all 12 acres of the beachfront property, where bridges cross a freshwater lagoon loaded with koi, cascading waterfalls, and tropical birds. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Sep. 2026

Beginning after Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and continuing to this day, smaller companies sprang up and took on big roles here, as national insurers pulled back rather than risk the financial catastrophe of another huge, damaging tropical system. — Ron Hurtibise, Sun Sentinel, 25 Sep. 2026

Some are insulated for polar freezes, while others are built to handle tropical climates. — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 25 Sep. 2026

Olive ridleys are normally found throughout tropical regions of the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic oceans, and usually nest along the coasts of Mexico, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. — Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 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