# exotic

/ɪɡˈzɑtɪk/ (US) · /ɛɡzˈɒtɪk/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/exotic
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. foreign and exciting

adjective · CEFR B2

unusual and exciting because it comes from a distant country.

For teachers: originating in or characteristic of a distant foreign country, often implying a sense of striking difference or allure.

- The market was full of exotic fruits that I had never seen before.
- The travel agency specializes in exotic destinations that remain largely untouched by mainstream commercial tourism.

### 2. unusual pets

adjective · CEFR B2

describing animals that are not common pets like cats or dogs.

For teachers: denoting or relating to any animal that is not a common domestic species, often requiring specialized veterinary care.

- The vet specializes in exotic animals like snakes and lizards.
- Owning exotic pets requires a significant commitment to maintaining specific environmental conditions and specialized dietary needs.

### 3. complex finance

adjective · CEFR C1 · Technical

describing financial products that are more complicated than usual ones.

For teachers: relating to financial derivatives or options with complex features that distinguish them from standard or 'plain vanilla' instruments.

- The bank lost money after investing in exotic financial products.
- The regulator expressed concern regarding the lack of transparency in the trading of exotic derivatives during the market downturn.

### 4. introduced species

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a plant or animal that has been brought into a place where it does not naturally belong.

For teachers: an organism that is not native to a particular ecosystem; an introduced or invasive species.

- The local forest is being taken over by an exotic vine from another continent.
- The introduction of an exotic into the island's fragile ecosystem led to the rapid decline of several endemic bird species.

### 5. a dancer

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal

a person who performs a type of dance that involves taking off their clothes.

For teachers: a euphemism for a stripteaser or a performer of suggestive dances.

- He worked as an exotic dancer while he was trying to finish college.
- The club featured several exotic dancers who performed elaborate routines involving fire and acrobatics.

## Examples

- The market sells many exotic fruits from the tropics.
- She decorated her apartment with exotic plants and colorful rugs she collected during her travels through Southeast Asia.
- While the local flora is charming, the botanical garden's main attraction is its collection of exotic orchids, which require a strictly controlled environment to survive the northern winter.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.