soy sauce

noun

variants or less commonly soy or chiefly British soya sauce

: a brown, salty liquid that is made by subjecting soybeans and roasted grain (such as wheat) to long fermentation in brine and is used especially in Asian cooking and as a condiment

At its most basic, soy sauce is a fermented liquid made from soybeans and wheat. Soybeans contribute a strong, pungent taste, while wheat lends sweetness.

—Lisa McManuse

My most recent kick has been Chinese. For more than a year now I've been stir-frying everything in ginger and garlic and adding soy sauce.

—Andrew A. Rooney

see shoyu

Examples of soy sauce in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Two brothers re-envision their family’s soy sauce factory, building upon an emerging Taiwanese trend that transforms familiar pantry staples—such as soy sauce, hot sauce, tofu and rice—with palate-broadening flavors, respecting the island’s legacy. —Laura Manske, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025

Its ramen features a milky tonkotsu broth seasoned with its secret blend of soy sauce, which is accompanied by firm egg noodles, tender kurobuta pork, ajitama (a marinated, soft-boiled egg), bamboo shoots, sesame seeds, and green onions. —Mae Hamilton, AFAR Media, 1 May 2025

The noodles are frozen, the broth is made from instant dashi, the beef is pre-sliced, and it’s all seasoned with pantry staples like soy sauce, mirin, and sugar. —Bon Appétit, Bon Appetit Magazine, 25 Apr. 2025

Next go in sliced shiitake mushrooms followed by fresh garlic, miso paste, vinegar and soy sauce. —The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1775, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for soy sauce

• across
• backcross
• crisscross
• lacrosse
• recross
• tomas
• albatross
• applesauce
• barabbas
• helios
• kshatriyas
• blas

Kids Definition

soy sauce

noun

: a brown sauce made from soybeans and used especially in Chinese and Japanese cooking