exotic

Meanings

1. 1adjectivecomparable

   Coming from, or seeming to come from, a faraway country, and so striking, unusual and interesting.

   Grammar: Used before a noun or after be: exotic fruit; the flowers look exotic.

   Patterns

   • exotic to someone
   • an exotic place

   The market was full of exotic spices I had never smelled before.

   They spent their honeymoon on an exotic island.

   To a child from a small village, the big city seemed wonderfully exotic.

2. 2adjectivebefore a nounbiology

   Describing an animal or plant that has been brought from another part of the world rather than being native to where it lives.

   Grammar: Usually before a noun: exotic pets, exotic species.

   Patterns

   • exotic species
   • exotic pet

   Some people keep exotic pets like snakes and lizards.

   Exotic species can damage local wildlife when they escape.

   The garden has exotic palms that were shipped over a century ago.

3. 3adjectivecomparable

   Unusual and special in a way that is not part of ordinary daily life, such as a dazzling style or an unusual dish.

   Grammar: Can describe things that are not foreign at all: an exotic outfit.

   Patterns

   • something exotic

   She wore an exotic dress covered in feathers.

   The menu offered nothing too exotic, just good basic cooking.

   Their taste in music was more exotic than mine.

Word forms

Common combinations

exotic location

The film was shot in an exotic location off the coast of Thailand.

exotic fruit

The shop sells exotic fruit such as lychees and dragon fruit.

exotic animal

The zoo specializes in exotic animals from rainforests.

exotic dancer

She trained as an exotic dancer before becoming a choreographer.

exotic flavors

The chef mixes exotic flavors with familiar ingredients.

Synonyms and how they differ

foreign

Foreign simply means from another country and is neutral, while exotic adds a sense of excitement or glamour.

unusual

Unusual says only that something is uncommon, whereas exotic suggests it also comes from somewhere far away or seems glamorous.

alien

Alien suggests something strange and sometimes uncomfortable, while exotic is mostly positive.

tropical

Tropical is a specific climate-related word, while exotic can describe any faraway, unusual thing.

Opposites

Word family

exotically adverb

in an unusual, foreign-seeming way

exoticism noun

the quality of seeming foreign and exciting

exoticize verb

to treat a culture as strange and fascinating

exoticness noun

the state of being exotic

Commonly confused: exotic or erotic?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “exotic”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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