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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 Cyclosporiasis is an intestinal illness that is caused by a living parasite that can be found on food or in water, more commonly in tropical and subtropical areas. — Irene Wright, USA Today, 7 July 2026 Tiki Taco also serves soft drinks, beer and multiple Cal-Mex or tropical cocktails that can also be ordered to go. — Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 7 July 2026 Cyclosporiasis is more common in tropical and subtropical countries. — Jane Yoon Scott, EverydayHealth.com, 7 July 2026 El Niño is a periodic weather cycle that features hotter-than-normal ocean temperatures in the equatorial tropical Pacific, along with corresponding shifts in weather patterns across this region. — Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 6 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
  • The often 13-foot-long snakes perfectly blend into the ecosystem’s subtropical riverways and foliage.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 2 July 2026
  • The agency added that the parasite is typically found in tropical or subtropical regions of the world.
    — Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 30 June 2026
Definition of subtropical
Adjective
  • The scene is a Pyrrhic victory, however, because its self-transcending metaphorical power only emphasizes the blandly literal hour and a half that came before.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 27 June 2026
  • In other words, the metaphorical coin must be weighted—in this case, by hominins doing things on purpose, like laying their dead to rest in the narrow, twisting darkness of Rising Star.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 25 June 2026
Definition of metaphoric
Adjective
  • El Niño is a periodic weather cycle that features hotter-than-normal ocean temperatures in the equatorial tropical Pacific, along with corresponding shifts in weather patterns across this region.
    — Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
  • But those astronauts explored equatorial areas.
    — Leonard David, Space.com, 22 June 2026
Definition of equatorial
Adjective
  • The Lenovo ThinkBook 16 Gen 8 laptop shows up ready to work, with a snappy Intel Core Ultra 7 processor, a generous 32GB of RAM, and a spacious 2TB SSD in its (figurative) briefcase.
    — Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 6 July 2026
  • Our words are a figurative sword and instrument of action under this transit.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 3 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
  • Losing title fights to Charles Oliveira (symbolic BMF belt), Ilia Topuria (featherweight), and Alex Volkanovski (featherweight).
    — Trent Reinsmith, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
  • Jordan Smith Councilors rejected a symbolic demand for reforms at the Indy office that targets the root causes of violent crime, after a recent audit found oversight lapses and potential conflicts of interest while the spending rose.
    — Jordan Smith, IndyStar, 9 July 2026
Definition of symbolic

Browse Nearby Words

tropic
tropical
tropological
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tropical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tropical. Accessed 13 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on tropical

Nglish: Translation of tropical for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All