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 And astonishingly even 90s are not out of the question for a majority of the Bay Area if enough tropical moisture is present. — Sean MacAday, Sacbee.com, 8 Sep. 2026 The virus is most prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions, including Southeast Asia, the Western Pacific islands, Latin America and Africa. — Teresa Mull, FOXNews.com, 7 Sep. 2026 Seaside Escape To kick off 2022, the couple once again sought out somewhere warm and sandy, continuing their tradition of ringing in the New Year someplace tropical. — Katie Mather, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2026 The yellow-legged hornet is native to the tropical and subtropical areas of Southeast Asia and has spread to parts of Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. — Dan Raby, CBS News, 7 Sep. 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
  • Influenced by Barcelona legend Antoni Gaudí and American architect Frank Lloyd Wright, Treister’s work in Miami blended modern architecture with art, sculpture and the lush subtropical South Florida landscape.
    — Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Cyclospora has historically been found in subtropical climates, so for a long time, infections from food grown inside the United States were unheard of.
    — Dylan Scott, Vox, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of subtropical
Adjective
  • Problem spaces are the metaphorical regions that our minds have to navigate to get from a problem to a solution.
    — Chris Borland, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Here, your guide to the metaphorical — and literal — cream of the crop for fall, coming in ranging intensities and fruity and dessert-like varieties.
    — Noor Lobad, Footwear News, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of metaphoric
Adjective
  • But success has been elusive—which, McDowell says, is all the more remarkable, given the site’s near-ideal remote, equatorial locale.
    — Elizabeth Howell, Scientific American, 7 Sep. 2026
  • El Niño events are characterized by hotter than average sea surface temperatures in the equatorial tropical Pacific Ocean, along with corresponding shifts in the atmospheric circulation throughout that region.
    — Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of equatorial
Adjective
  • In Rouy’s experience, figurative painting was once seen as embarrassingly retrograde.
    — David Lê, Curbed, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Her time spent dancing quickly spun itself into Cabrera’s dancer-like, strong figurative sculptures that could as easily evoke fertility or appear as merged couples.
    — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of figurative
Adjective
  • From figural bakers to upgraded pans, the new collection takes fall baking to a whole other level.
    — Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 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
  • But along with political and practical advantages of navigating through complex new airspace in a range of temperatures, Pegase 26 is highly symbolic.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Sep. 2026
  • One possible clue lies in the fact that the moringa tree in particular held a special symbolic significance to ancient Egyptians.
    — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 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 15 Sep. 2026.

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