Tropical describes the warm regions of Earth near the equator, where it stays hot year-round and rain falls abundantly. These areas lie between two imaginary lines called the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, roughly 1,600 miles north and south of the equator. Think of countries like Brazil and Thailand: places where winter rarely brings frost or snow.

Tropical regions support lush rainforests packed with colorful birds, chattering monkeys, and millions of insect species. The constant warmth and moisture create perfect conditions for plants to grow explosively. A single tropical rainforest can contain more tree species in a few acres than exist in all of Canada.

The word also describes anything that feels like it belongs in these warm places. A tropical drink might be sweet and fruity, served with a little umbrella. A tropical storm is a powerful weather system that forms over warm ocean waters. When someone decorates their room with palm trees and bright colors, they might call it a tropical theme.

Scientists use tropical precisely to describe climate zones, but in everyday speech, people use it more loosely to mean anything hot, humid, and lush with vegetation. When your aunt visits Hawaii and says the weather was tropical, she means it was warm, sunny, and probably a bit humid.