exotic
/ɪɡˈzɑtɪk/adjective, noun
exotic is spelled E-X-O-T-I-C: 6 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 8.1 times per million words in written English, the 8,146th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, exotic means “Foreign, especially in an exciting way” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in exotic?
| Letters | 6: E-X-O-T-I-C |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 8.1 times per million words; the 8,146th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is exotic?
Exotic appears 8.1 times per million words in written English, the 8,146th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce exotic?
- UK /ɪɡˈzɒtɪk/
- US /ɪɡˈzɑtɪk/
- US [ɪɡˈzɑɾɪk]
Exotic has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-exotic.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with exotic?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as exotic from its last stressed vowel (/ɑtɪk/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of exotic
- more exotic comparative
- most exotic superlative
- exotica plural
- exotics plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does exotic mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Foreign, especially in an exciting way.
an exotic appearance
- 2
Non-native to the ecosystem.
- 3
extraterrestial, alien
exotic materials
- 4
Being or relating to an option with features that make it more complex than commonly traded options.
- 5
Being or relating to various wagers, such as the trifecta, that involve betting on the finishing positions of multiple competitors across one or more races.
- 6
Denoting or relating to any animal that is not a cat or dog, requiring specialised healthcare
- 7
Unusual to keep or undomesticated.
noun
- 1
An organism that is exotic to an environment; an introduced species.
- 2
A person not native to a particular area; a foreigner.
- 3
An exotic dancer; a stripteaser.
- 4
Any exotic particle.
Glueballs, theoretical particles composed only of gluons, are exotics.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Exotic in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | exotique |
| German | exotisch , Exot |
| Portuguese | exótico , (organismo) exótico |
| Spanish | exótico |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does exotic come from?
Borrowed from Middle French exotique, from Latin exōticus, from Ancient Greek ἐξωτικός (exōtikós, “foreign”, literally “from the outside”), from ἐξω- (exō-, “outside”), from ἐξ (ex, “out of”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).