exotic
gb/ɪɡzˈɑtɪk/ us/ɪɡzˈɑtɪk/
B1
English
~ 6300
egzotikus, szokatlan, idegenhonos, nem őshonos, egzotikum
B1
1
egzotikus
B2
Usage pattern:
an exotic [food/place/experience]
We tried a variety of exotic dishes at the new Thai restaurant.
Az új thai étteremben többféle egzotikus fogást kóstoltunk.
She loves traveling to exotic islands with white sand and clear water.
Imád olyan egzotikus szigetekre utazni, ahol fehér a homok és kristálytiszta a víz.
The garden is full of exotic plants that you don’t usually see in this climate.
He decorated his apartment with exotic fabrics and handmade furniture from Morocco.
The perfume has an exotic scent that reminds me of a spice market.
Learner examples
We ate many exotic foods on our trip.
Utazásunkon sok egzotikus ételt ettünk.
They want to visit some exotic countries in Asia.
El szeretnének látogatni néhány egzotikus ázsiai országba.
Her room is full of exotic flowers and bright colors.
He keeps pictures of exotic beaches on his wall.
The city market sells exotic fruits I have never seen before.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "exotic" to describe people, which can sound offensive or objectifying in modern English, especially about women or people of other races or cultures. It is usually safer to use words like "international", "from [country]", or "multicultural" for people. Learners also sometimes confuse "exotic" with "erotic"; "erotic" means sexual, while "exotic" means unusual and often foreign-seeming.
Meaning
attractively unusual or foreign
Collocations
exotic food
|exotic location
|exotic culture
|exotic vacation
|exotic fragrance
|exotic hairstyle
Synonyms
unusual (Focuses on being different, without the strong idea of coming from far away.)
|
foreign (Focuses on coming from another country, not necessarily attractive or special.)
|
tropical (Suggests coming from warm regions near the equator; more specific than "exotic".)
Antonyms
ordinary (Emphasizes being common and not special or striking.)
|
familiar (Emphasizes being well-known and not new or different.)
|
local (Emphasizes coming from the nearby area, not from far away.)
Themes
travel
|culture
|food
|descriptions
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Very different from what you know, often from a far country, and interesting or beautiful because of this.
Strikingly different from what is usual or familiar, especially because it comes from a distant place and seems attractive or interesting.
C1
2
Usage pattern:
an exotic [idea/design/product]
The company is known for creating exotic financial instruments that few investors fully understand.
A vállalat arról ismert, hogy egzotikus pénzügyi eszközöket dolgoz ki, amelyeket kevés befektető ért teljesen.
Physicists are testing several exotic models of the universe.
A fizikusok a világegyetem több szokatlan modelljét tesztelik.
The architect proposed an exotic design that would completely change the city skyline.
Traders sometimes take big risks with exotic derivatives.
The new engine uses an exotic type of fuel cell.
Learner examples
The bank sells some exotic products that normal customers do not use.
A bank olyan szokatlan termékeket kínál, amelyeket az átlagos ügyfelek nem használnak.
Scientists are studying an exotic idea about how time works.
A tudósok egy szokatlan elképzelést vizsgálnak arról, hogyan működik az idő.
The artist is famous for her exotic style of painting.
This phone has some exotic features that I will never need.
We do not want any exotic solutions; we just need a simple plan.
Common mistake:
Learners may think this sense always has a positive meaning, but in technical or business contexts "exotic" can suggest something is risky, overly complex, or hard to understand.
Meaning
extremely unusual or nonstandard
Collocations
exotic theory
|exotic option
|exotic financial product
|exotic design
|exotic particles
Synonyms
outlandish (Suggests something is not only unusual but may also seem strange or hard to accept.)
|
unconventional (Focuses on not following usual rules or traditions; less dramatic than "exotic".)
Antonyms
standard (Emphasizes following the usual type or model.)
|
conventional (Emphasizes following accepted rules, styles, or ideas.)
Themes
science
|business
|descriptions
|technology
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Very unusual or not like the normal kind, especially for ideas, designs, or special products.
Highly unusual, complex, or different from the normal or standard type, especially in ideas, designs, or technical products.
C1
TECHNICAL
3
idegenhonos
C1
nem őshonos
B2
Usage pattern:
[a species] is exotic to [a place]
Many exotic species become invasive when they are introduced into new ecosystems.
Sok idegenhonos faj invázióssá válik, ha új ökoszisztémákba telepítik.
The lake is now home to several exotic fish that were released from aquariums.
A tóban ma már több idegenhonos hal is él, amelyeket akváriumokból engedtek szabadon.
Ecologists are studying the impact of exotic plants on local biodiversity.
Some exotic animals kept as pets can escape and disturb native wildlife.
The park bans the release of exotic species into its protected areas.
Learner examples
This river now has many exotic fish from other countries.
Ebben a folyóban ma már sok más országokból származó, idegenhonos hal él.
The forest is in danger because of an exotic plant.
Az erdőt egy idegenhonos növény veszélyezteti.
Scientists worry when people bring exotic animals into a new place.
Many exotic species do not have natural enemies in the new area.
The government made a law to stop the spread of exotic plants.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think "exotic species" means only that the animals or plants look interesting or beautiful. In environmental science, it mainly means they are not originally from that region, and this can often be a problem.
Meaning
non-native, introduced species
Collocations
exotic species
|exotic plant
|exotic animal
|exotic fish
|exotic invasive
Synonyms
non-native (Scientific and neutral; focuses directly on not being from that area.)
|
introduced (Emphasizes that humans brought the species to the area.)
Antonyms
native (Describes species that occur naturally in a region.)
|
endemic (Technical; means a species lives naturally only in that specific region.)
Themes
environment
|science
|biology
|nature
|animals
Definition
Used for a plant or animal that does not come from that place naturally, but was brought there by people or by accident.
Describing a plant, animal, or other organism that does not naturally occur in a particular region but has been brought there from elsewhere.
NOUN
C1
LITERARY
4
egzotikum
C1
Usage pattern:
an exotic from [a place]
As a student from a tiny Pacific island, she sometimes felt like an exotic on campus.
Egy apró csendes-óceáni szigetről érkezett diákként néha egzotikumnak érezte magát az egyetemen.
Curators worried that the exhibit would turn the community into mere exotics for tourists.
A kurátorok attól tartottak, hogy a kiállítás a közösségből puszta egzotikumot csinálna a turisták számára.
The novelist refuses to treat her characters as colorful exotics for Western readers.
He enjoyed being the exotic in the small village, but it also became tiring.
They put her on the cover as a kind of fashionable exotic.
Learner examples
In the small town, he was an exotic from the big city.
A kisvárosban egzotikumnak számított, mert a nagyvárosból jött.
She did not like being treated as an exotic by her coworkers.
Nem szerette, hogy a munkatársai egzotikumként kezelik.
The movie shows the people as simple exotics for the foreign visitor.
The writer says she is not an exotic; she is just a normal person.
Tourists sometimes see local people as exotics, not as real individuals.
Common mistake:
Learners rarely use this noun, but if they do, they may not realize it can sound negative or objectifying, especially when used about people. It can suggest that someone is only interesting because they seem strange or foreign.
Meaning
person or thing seen as exotic
Collocations
regard someone as an exotic
|treat someone as an exotic
|an exotic among
|a cultural exotic
Synonyms
outsider (Focuses on not belonging to the group, without the idea of being attractive or foreign.)
|
novelty (Suggests something is new and unusual, often in a superficial or temporary way.)
Antonyms
local (Emphasizes being from the same place as the group; the opposite of foreign.)
|
regular (Emphasizes being normal or typical within a group.)
Themes
descriptions
|culture
|travel
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A person or thing that seems very different and foreign, and interesting because of that.
A person, thing, or style that appears strikingly foreign and unusual, often viewed as attractive because of its difference.
Grammar
Dictionary form
exotic
IPA
GB/ɪɡzˈɑtɪk/
US/ɪɡzˈɑtɪk/
Syllables & stress
exot - ic (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (ic)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: exotic
Noun
- Base: exotic
- Plural: exotics
Word family
Forms
exotics
noun
Core family
exotically
adverb C1
Advanced or less common
exoticism
noun
exoticize
verb
Expressions
exotic matter
1/ɪɡzˈɑtɪk mˈætɚ/
fixed phrase
technical
theoretical matter with unusual properties
In physics, a kind of matter that scientists think might exist and that would have very strange properties, different from normal matter.
Examples
- Some models of faster-than-light travel require forms of exotic matter.
- The researcher gave a public talk explaining how exotic matter could affect space-time.
exotic option
1/ɪɡzˈɑtɪk ˈɑpʃən/
fixed phrase
technical
complex non-standard financial option
In finance, a kind of option that is more complicated than a normal option and has special rules for how and when it can be used.
Examples
- The fund invests mainly in exotic options that require advanced risk models.
- Regulators are considering new rules for exotic options sold to small investors.
exotic pet
1/ɪɡzˈɑtɪk pˈɛt/
fixed phrase
unusual, non-domestic pet animal
A pet that is not a usual domestic animal like a dog or cat, for example a snake, lizard, hedgehog, or parrot.
Examples
- The city now requires special permits for anyone who wants to keep an exotic pet.
- She has always dreamed of owning an exotic pet, like a small monkey or a parrot.
exotic species
1/ɪɡzˈɑtɪk spˈiʃiz/
fixed phrase
technical
non-native plant or animal species
A kind of plant or animal that does not come from that area naturally, but was brought there from somewhere else.
Examples
- Scientists are monitoring how the exotic species is spreading through the wetlands.
- Many exotic species were introduced by accident through international trade.
exotic dancer
1/ɪɡzˈɑtɪk dˈænsɚ/
fixed phrase
informal
striptease performer in a club
A person, usually working in a club, who dances and takes off their clothes to entertain adults.
Examples
- He used to work as a DJ in a club that hired exotic dancers.
- The film follows the life of an exotic dancer trying to support her family.
exotic dancer
2/ɪɡzˈɑtɪk dˈænsɚ/
fixed phrase
Erotic dancer in adult venues
A dancer who does erotic shows, usually in bars or clubs for adults.
Examples
- The club mainly employs exotic dancers who perform late at night.
- She used to work as an exotic dancer before changing careers.