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 Few things bridge South Florida cultures better than the mango, the juicy-sticky-sweet tropical tree fruit that avalanches our backyards all summer long. — Phillip Valys, Sun Sentinel, 18 Aug. 2026 National Hurricane Center forecasters watch two new potential tropical systems in the Pacific as Hawaii works to recover from Lala's historic rain. — Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 18 Aug. 2026 This is the case with Hurricane Lala, which impacted Hawaii over the weekend, and will likely be the case as more tropical systems develop. — Sean MacAday, Sacbee.com, 18 Aug. 2026 But don’t tell that to 65-year-old Phillip Schutt, a longtime Buffett fan who has spent years transforming his home into a tropical paradise, complete with surfboards, a handmade lobster trap and even a pirate skeleton taking refuge in a trash can. — Carolyn Stein, Chicago Tribune, 17 Aug. 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
  • Still, Hawaii’s most important guardian against hurricanes is the North Pacific (or Hawaiian) high—a semipermanent subtropical high-pressure cell that sits northeast of the islands.
    — John P. Rafferty, Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The world’s greenest places encompass a variety of ecosystems and habitats, from the mossy Hoh Rain Forest in Washington State to the subtropical Sapa Valley in northern Vietnam.
    — Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of subtropical
Adjective
  • Lush layers of melody and instrumentation submerges the listener in both metaphoric thought and shifting moods.
    — Lina Lecaro, SPIN, 18 Aug. 2026
  • These forces could be imagined as two beings and, by metaphoric extension, as male and female.
    — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of metaphoric
Adjective
  • Synopsis The equatorial village of Rukumba has endured months of drought when suddenly snow falls overnight, an impossible event blanketing the land in white.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 16 Aug. 2026
  • When looking at July alone, ocean temperatures in the equatorial Pacific are the second-highest for the month on record, according to L’Heureux.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of equatorial
Adjective
  • Also, the figurative paintings hanging in the ground-floor corridor, by Portuguese artist Leonor Trindade Sousa, are for sale.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Urgessa is known for his alluring figurative paintings that feature various Black figures often in enigmatic poses and spaces.
    — Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of figurative
Adjective
  • Mix up the coquette and the macabre with a light pink mug that features a pattern of both skulls and bows; opt for a shiny pink cauldron to lean into a feminine Halloween; or go for the cute figural option of a smiling ghost.
    — Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Aug. 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
  • Once a name is tied to an address, the gap between symbolic hostility and a physical approach narrows, pulling family members, staff and neighbours into the exposure too.
    — Control Risks, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The film’s observational intensity yields a form of symbolic realism that highlights both the action and its import—both the drama and the ideas and systems that undergird it.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 19 Aug. 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 25 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of tropical for Spanish Speakers

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