tropical

adjective

ˈträ-pi-kəl How to pronounce tropical (audio)
Definition of tropicalnext
1
as in subtropical
being near the equator wanted to escape winter and visit some tropical location where freezing to death would not be a possibility

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in metaphoric
expressing one thing in terms normally used for another an author given to high-flown tropical phrasings and convoluted symbology

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of tropical The Saharan Air Layer can suppress thunderstorm development and increase atmospheric stability across parts of the tropical Atlantic, temporarily reducing the odds that disturbances develop into tropical storms or hurricanes. — Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 14 July 2026 The North American monsoon – a weather pattern that invites tropical moisture into the region during the summer months – doesn’t always make its way all the way to Central and Northern California. — Sean MacAday 13, Sacbee.com, 13 July 2026 The series follows a group of singles (called Islanders) living together in a luxurious tropical villa. — Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 13 July 2026 The large double flowers have a tropical appearance, with forward curving purple petals tipped in lime green. — Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 12 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for tropical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tropical
  1. subtropical
  2. metaphoric
  3. equatorial
  4. figurative
  5. figural
  6. symbolic
Adjective
  • Georgia’s Okefenokee, meanwhile, sits in the subtropical climate band, where peat deposits are more scarce — and where most that do remain have been altered by humans.
    — Drew Kann, AJC.com, 20 July 2026
  • The smoke that wafted into the atmosphere from the fires was filled with reflective, cloud-interacting aerosols, contributing to a brightening of low marine clouds over the southeast subtropical Pacific.
    — Doyle Rice, USA Today, 16 July 2026
Definition of subtropical
Adjective
  • Raven ended a years-long reprieve from public life by using metaphorical interpretations of water and emergence to lay out the importance of intentional solitude.
    — Lawrence Burney, Pitchfork, 16 July 2026
  • In the Green New Deal discussion, though, this hypothetical meat ban effectively functioned as metaphorical shortcut for progressive political overreach.
    — David Rooney, The Conversation, 10 July 2026
Definition of metaphoric
Adjective
  • Farther afield are El Panecillo, a hill topped by a towering Virgin Mary statue, and the Middle of the World complex, which celebrates Quito’s equatorial location.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 July 2026
  • Its equatorial bulge produces classical Newtonian forces on satellite orbits that are orders of magnitude larger than the frame dragging signal.
    — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 10 July 2026
Definition of equatorial
Adjective
  • The central theme was the figurative — and literal — significance of passing the ball, including asking audience members to ponder what their passing game is like and the ramifications of being a ball hog.
    — Vahe Gregorian July 10, Kansas City Star, 10 July 2026
  • These forms, or these masses that are part figurative, part abstract—that’s also how Jarvaise built his paintings.
    — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 8 July 2026
Definition of figurative
Adjective
  • The holders come in a set of two, adorned with figural bunnies.
    — Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Mar. 2026
  • Display of a walking staff with a figural head and wooden ladles reveal a history of carving among the cultures Lewis was raised in.
    — Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 13 Feb. 2026
Definition of figural
Adjective
  • The west is symbolic of death in mythology, but also connected to the land of Elysium, the final resting place for Greek heroes.
    — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 18 July 2026
  • Just under 11 months later, Rodriguez decided to make a direct symbolic strike at China on their (sort of) soil.
    — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 16 July 2026
Definition of symbolic

Browse Nearby Words

tropic
tropical
tropological
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Cite this Entry

“Tropical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tropical. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of tropical for Spanish Speakers

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