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

Warming waters are contributing to extreme weather at sea, creating the conditions for tropical storms, like typhoons, to become more intense.

Read more on BBC

So how did a small plant breeder in Somerset end up selling tropical plants all over the world?

Read more on BBC

Roughly 6 million common dolphins inhabit tropical and temperate waters worldwide, making them the most numerous members of the cetacean family, which includes whales and porpoises.

Read more on Science Daily

SAI efforts concentrated near the poles, for example, could disrupt tropical monsoons, while releases near the equator might alter jet streams and interfere with global air circulation.

Read more on Science Daily

Environmentalists have raised alarm about drilling for oil off the coast of the world's largest tropical rainforest, a biodiverse area that is home to several Indigenous communities.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

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