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 Natalia Cardona Sanchez from Guatemala makes tropical jams with Latin American and Caribbean flavors. — Siafa Lewis, CBS News, 1 July 2026 The site hearkens back to Florida roadside attractions of the past but offers plenty of present-day opportunities for animal encounters amid a backdrop of tropical foliage. — Beth Luberecki, USA Today, 30 June 2026 The abnormal heat has been driven by the onset of El Niño, a natural climate pattern characterized by unusually warm waters along the equatorial tropical Pacific Ocean. — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 1 July 2026 Hacienda AltaGracia, Auberge Collection, is perfectly positioned to take advantage of it all, with its own horse stables, wellbeing center and tropical forest expeditions. — Kathryn Romeyn, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 June 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.
    — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 29 June 2026
  • The figurative scales of justice are totally out of whack now.
    — Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 June 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
  • Thune did not speak during the meeting but scheduled a symbolic follow-up vote that evening in which two Republicans flipped their original votes.
    — Christian Datoc, The Washington Examiner, 3 July 2026
  • This ‘Statehood Quarters’ collection is so inclusive and symbolic of this great nation.
    — Emily Tarinelli, Los Angeles Times, 2 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 8 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on tropical

Nglish: Translation of tropical for Spanish Speakers

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