1
: to, toward, or in the south
a house facing south
2
: into a state of decline or ruin
causes the sluggish economy to go south—
G. F. Will
G. F. Willsee also south of
1
: situated toward or at the south
the south entrance
2
: coming from the south
a south wind
1
a
: the direction of the south terrestrial pole : the direction to the right of one facing east
b
: the compass point directly opposite to north
2
capitalized
: regions or countries lying to the south of a specified or implied point of orientation
especially
: the southeastern part of the U.S.
3
: the right side of a church looking toward the altar from the nave
4
often capitalized
a
: the one of four positions at 90-degree intervals that lies to the south or at the bottom of a diagram
b
: a person (such as a bridge player) occupying this position in the course of a specified activity
specifically
: the declarer in bridge
5
often capitalized
: the developing nations of the world : third world sense 1 compare north sense 2b
Examples of south in a Sentence
Adverb
Turn south onto Elm Street.
It's a mile south of here.
The birds fly south in the winter.
The company's profits have gone south in recent months.
The TV show's ratings have been heading south.
Noun
The wind blew from the south.
The birds migrate from the South.
Parts of the South were hit hard by the storm.
I grew up in the South.
The American Civil War was between the North and the South.
Recent Examples on the WebRachel Howard, Travel + Leisure, 26 Apr. 2024
The water that is pumped from the delta and flows south into the California Aqueduct provides a significant portion of Southern California’s supplies.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2024
Historically, water from Lake Okeechobee flows south, where the Everglades acts as a natural filter.
—Max Inchausti, Field & Stream, 24 Apr. 2024
Luxury real estate sales and development is the other force reshaping Guanacaste and the area 45 minutes south known as Las Catalinas — a car-free development with a time zone that syncs up with the U.S. Villas here range from a couple million to about $10 million.
—Melinda Fulmer, Robb Report, 23 Apr. 2024
The virus also spreads south, entering the Antarctic region for the first time.
—Emily Anthes, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2024
Her last cellphone ping was near the river crossing in Sabula, Iowa, 40 minutes south.
—Jim Axelrod, CBS News, 22 Apr. 2024
As the sun sets, drift south to Vero Beach for a relaxing evening by the water.
—Jp Shaffer, Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2024
Participating shops can be found as far north as Carmel Valley and as far south as Barrio Logan and Coronado.
—Abby Hamblin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Apr. 2024
Daniel Desrochers, Kansas City Star, 24 Apr. 2024
Both the food truck park and farmers market are at 752 S. Knowles Drive, which is at the south end of Willow Creek Park.
—Rick Mauch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Apr. 2024
The two ate dinner and went to a bar before going to Anderson's home on Milwaukee's south side.
—Elliot Hughes, Journal Sentinel, 12 Apr. 2024
Parking is free in the lot on the south side of the building.
—David Hudnall, Kansas City Star, 11 Apr. 2024
The glass jars lining the shelves of this compact unit in central Plymouth, on the south coast of England, are filled with cow parsley, red clover, and corn chamomile.
—Frankie Adkins, WIRED, 10 Apr. 2024
The man was last seen on Milwaukee's near south side at 9 p.m. Tuesday.
—Elliot Hughes, Journal Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2024
That is certainly the case in Yemen, on the south flank of the Arabian Peninsula, where the desert sands have a new look these days.
—Fred Pearce, WIRED, 9 Mar. 2024
The south wind will be 8 to 15 mph, becoming northwest in the afternoon.
—Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 8 Mar. 2024
Greg Myre, NPR, 24 Apr. 2024
When outsourcing and globalization arrived, migration for work became internal: A million Americans have moved from north to south already, and an Upwork study predicted up to 10 percent of the entire workforce will ultimately move physically as the remote work revolution gains traction.
—Julia Hobsbawm, Fortune, 22 Apr. 2024
As well as the new defenses in the south, Pentagon officials and independent analysts also pointed to ones beyond Avdiivka in the east.
—Josh Holder, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2024
There are great opportunities for more shopping, restrooms and entertainment in the south.
—Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Apr. 2024
This powerful allure eventually led to the creation of various mountain towns — from Highlands in the south up to Brevard, Waynesville, and Banner Elk.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 21 Apr. 2024
Boats carrying migrants landing on California shores is not new, but the practice has increased in recent years in San Diego County, from Imperial Beach and Point Loma in the south to Oceanside in the north.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Apr. 2024
In Lebanon’s south, where Hezbollah draws most of its support, the region near the border has mostly been evacuated; the same is true in northern Israel.
—Shira Rubin, Washington Post, 18 Apr. 2024
Israel promised last week to open an additional crossing for aid to the northern Gaza Strip, and Sunday pulled most of its troops from the south.
—Claire Parker, Washington Post, 9 Apr. 2024
Adverb
About six miles south, on the Navarino Waterfront, the Agora, a mall and street-food hub, is popular with both hotel guests and locals.
—Rachel Howard, Travel + Leisure, 26 Apr. 2024
The water that is pumped from the delta and flows south into the California Aqueduct provides a significant portion of Southern California’s supplies.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2024
Historically, water from Lake Okeechobee flows south, where the Everglades acts as a natural filter.
—Max Inchausti, Field & Stream, 24 Apr. 2024
Luxury real estate sales and development is the other force reshaping Guanacaste and the area 45 minutes south known as Las Catalinas — a car-free development with a time zone that syncs up with the U.S. Villas here range from a couple million to about $10 million.
—Melinda Fulmer, Robb Report, 23 Apr. 2024
The virus also spreads south, entering the Antarctic region for the first time.
—Emily Anthes, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2024
Her last cellphone ping was near the river crossing in Sabula, Iowa, 40 minutes south.
—Jim Axelrod, CBS News, 22 Apr. 2024
As the sun sets, drift south to Vero Beach for a relaxing evening by the water.
—Jp Shaffer, Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2024
Participating shops can be found as far north as Carmel Valley and as far south as Barrio Logan and Coronado.
—Abby Hamblin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Apr. 2024
Adjective
As Republicans in Congress demanded reforms at the south western border, rejected a months-long bipartisan agreement on the border and then eventually cleared the aid packages alongside legislation to force the sale of TikTok.
Weapons could start arriving in Ukraine by the end of the week.
—Daniel Desrochers, Kansas City Star, 24 Apr. 2024
Both the food truck park and farmers market are at 752 S. Knowles Drive, which is at the south end of Willow Creek Park.
—Rick Mauch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Apr. 2024
The two ate dinner and went to a bar before going to Anderson's home on Milwaukee's south side.
—Elliot Hughes, Journal Sentinel, 12 Apr. 2024
Parking is free in the lot on the south side of the building.
—David Hudnall, Kansas City Star, 11 Apr. 2024
The glass jars lining the shelves of this compact unit in central Plymouth, on the south coast of England, are filled with cow parsley, red clover, and corn chamomile.
—Frankie Adkins, WIRED, 10 Apr. 2024
The man was last seen on Milwaukee's near south side at 9 p.m. Tuesday.
—Elliot Hughes, Journal Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2024
That is certainly the case in Yemen, on the south flank of the Arabian Peninsula, where the desert sands have a new look these days.
—Fred Pearce, WIRED, 9 Mar. 2024
The south wind will be 8 to 15 mph, becoming northwest in the afternoon.
—Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 8 Mar. 2024
Noun
The weapons being supplied by the U.S., and also by European countries, could improve Ukraine's prospects in the south, particularly the Crimean Peninsula and the Black Sea, according to Herbst.
—Greg Myre, NPR, 24 Apr. 2024
When outsourcing and globalization arrived, migration for work became internal: A million Americans have moved from north to south already, and an Upwork study predicted up to 10 percent of the entire workforce will ultimately move physically as the remote work revolution gains traction.
—Julia Hobsbawm, Fortune, 22 Apr. 2024
As well as the new defenses in the south, Pentagon officials and independent analysts also pointed to ones beyond Avdiivka in the east.
—Josh Holder, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2024
There are great opportunities for more shopping, restrooms and entertainment in the south.
—Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Apr. 2024
This powerful allure eventually led to the creation of various mountain towns — from Highlands in the south up to Brevard, Waynesville, and Banner Elk.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 21 Apr. 2024
Boats carrying migrants landing on California shores is not new, but the practice has increased in recent years in San Diego County, from Imperial Beach and Point Loma in the south to Oceanside in the north.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Apr. 2024
In Lebanon’s south, where Hezbollah draws most of its support, the region near the border has mostly been evacuated; the same is true in northern Israel.
—Shira Rubin, Washington Post, 18 Apr. 2024
Israel promised last week to open an additional crossing for aid to the northern Gaza Strip, and Sunday pulled most of its troops from the south.
—Claire Parker, Washington Post, 9 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'south.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near south
Cite this Entry
“South.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/south. Accessed 2 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
south
1 of 3 adverb
: to or toward the south
south
2 of 3 adjective1
: situated toward or at the south
the south entrance
2
: coming from the south
a south wind
south
3 of 3 noun1
a
: the direction to the right of one facing east
b
: the compass point opposite to north
2
capitalized
: regions or countries south of a point that is mentioned or understood
especially
: the southeastern part of the U.S.
Biographical Definition
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