tropical

adjective

trop·​i·​cal
for sense 1
ˈträ-pi-kəl How to pronounce tropical (audio)
for sense 2
ˈtrō- How to pronounce tropical (audio)
also
ˈträ- How to pronounce tropical (audio)
Synonyms of tropicalnext
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 How to pronounce tropical (audio)
ˈtrō-
adverb

Synonyms of tropical

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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
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.
Cat’s claw is a woody vine that grows in the Amazon forest and other tropical areas of Central and South America, according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. — Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026 More tropical forest was destroyed in the late twentieth century than in any previous century, with roughly a sixth of the Amazon rainforest—an area the size of France—lost in just the past fifty years. — Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026 Anderson’s cover is string-heavy and tropical in nature, but where Buffett sang it with a forceful voice, Anderson goes for soft and understated, allowing both men’s versions to stand distinctly on their own. — Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2026 Forecasters are also watching another area of disturbed weather that currently has a 10% chance of tropical development. — Lissette Gonzalez, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tropical

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of tropical was in 1671

Phrases Containing tropical

Rhymes for tropical

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Browse Nearby Words

-tropic
tropical
tropical air
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Cite this Entry

“Tropical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tropical. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

tropical

adjective
trop·​i·​cal ˈträp-i-kəl How to pronounce tropical (audio)
: of, relating to, occurring in, or used in the tropics
tropically
-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce tropical (audio)
adverb
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