tropical
Americanadjective
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pertaining to, characteristic of, occurring in, or inhabiting the tropics, especially the humid tropics.
tropical flowers.
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very hot and humid.
a tropical climate.
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designed for use in the tropics or in very hot weather (often used in combination).
tropical-weight woolens.
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of or relating to either or both of the astronomical tropics.
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pertaining to, characterized by, or of the nature of a trope or tropes; metaphorical.
noun
adjective
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situated in, used in, characteristic of, or relating to the tropics
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(of weather) very hot, esp when humid
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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
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Weather and Climate - Introductory
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The United States
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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.
Its enormous body and unusual evolutionary history offer a glimpse into a time when giant snakes inhabited the warm, tropical landscapes of ancient India.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 14, 2026
"If projections of the historically strong 2026-27 El Nino materialise, drought and fire risks will intensify further across tropical forest regions," the deforestation report said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026
The warmth across the Pacific now extends well beyond the tropical region normally used to monitor El Niño.
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
Surrounded by lush tropical greenery, the estate was designed to embrace seamless indoor-outdoor living while taking full advantage of its oceanfront setting.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026
Even on hot days, the woods are normally cool, but here the air was heavy and steamy, almost tropical.
From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
