tropical

[trop-i-kuhl, troh-pi-kuhl]

adjective

1. pertaining to, characteristic of, occurring in, or inhabiting the tropics, especially the humid tropics.

   tropical flowers.

2. very hot and humid.

   a tropical climate.

3. designed for use in the tropics or in very hot weather (often used in combination).

   tropical-weight woolens.

4. of or relating to either or both of the astronomical tropics.

5. pertaining to, characterized by, or of the nature of a trope or tropes; metaphorical.

noun

1. tropicals, lightweight clothing, suitable for warm, especially summer weather.

tropical

/ ˈtrɒpɪkəl /

adjective

1. situated in, used in, characteristic of, or relating to the tropics

2. (of weather) very hot, esp when humid

3. rhetoric of or relating to a trope

Other Word Forms

• tropicality noun
• tropically adverb
• hypertropical adjective
• nontropical adjective
• nontropically adverb
• untropical adjective
• untropically adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of tropical¹

First recorded in 1520–30; tropic + -al ¹

Example Sentences

He opted for one that evokes “clean linen with a hint of tropical.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

In many ways, the Five Great Forests serve as tropical counterparts to North America's eastern forests.

Read more on Science Daily

Ahead of the talks, President Lula launched a fund to try to prevent the loss of tropical forests around the world.

Read more on BBC

The cyclone was travelling towards the Northern Territory for the past few days and was expected to make landfall as a category 2 tropical cyclone.

Read more on Barron's

With a base of white wine made in New York’s Finger Lakes region, this brand new, very pretty aperitif brimming with tropical botanicals is the season’s must-have spritz-maker.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• equatorial 
• hot 
• lush 
• steamy 
• sultry 
• sweltering