tropical
Americanadjective
-
pertaining to, characteristic of, occurring in, or inhabiting the tropics, especially the humid tropics.
tropical flowers.
-
very hot and humid.
a tropical climate.
-
designed for use in the tropics or in very hot weather (often used in combination).
tropical-weight woolens.
-
of or relating to either or both of the astronomical tropics.
-
pertaining to, characterized by, or of the nature of a trope or tropes; metaphorical.
noun
adjective
-
situated in, used in, characteristic of, or relating to the tropics
-
(of weather) very hot, esp when humid
-
rhetoric of or relating to a trope
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of tropical
Explanation
Our planet’s tropical regions, located just north and south of the equator, are known for being warm and humid. Some people think tropical areas make ideal vacation spots; others think they’re just good places for getting mosquito bites. This word calls for a crash course in geography. If you stand at Earth’s equator at certain times of the year, you’ll see the Sun directly overhead. However, the Sun “wanders” a bit, and sometimes you have to move north or south to see the Sun right above you; latitude lines called tropics show just how far north and south you have to go. The region between each tropic and the equator is considered tropical. For more details, see your travel agent.
Vocabulary lists containing tropical
The Sweltering Words of Summer
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Weather and Climate - Introductory
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The United States
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In this heatwave, some locations may see three or four tropical nights in a row which becomes far more impactful.
From BBC • Jun. 24, 2026
Their team, from Australia's Macquarie University, spent 10 nights in the tropical rainforests of northern Queensland, capturing the spider's behaviour using high-speed and infrared cameras.
From BBC • Jun. 23, 2026
Most of the world has seen increases in the number of tropical nights, when the "feels-like" temperature does not get below 20C, the researchers found.
From Barron's • Jun. 22, 2026
France banned alcohol in red-alert areas Sunday, Spain and Germany cancelled or postponed sports events and Britain warned of "tropical nights" as Europe sweltered through a heatwave threatening to break June temperature records.
From Barron's • Jun. 21, 2026
We’ll take a walk or share a tropical smoothie.
From "Merci Suárez Changes Gears" by Meg Medina
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
