south

1 of 3

adverb

ˈsau̇th 

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 …

—George Will

see also:

south of

south

2 of 3

adjective

1

: situated toward or at the south

the south entrance

2

: coming from the south

a south wind

south

3 of 3

noun

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

South : 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 South

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 South : 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 Web

Adverb

Two years into what was intended to be a seven-year apprenticeship, Walton quit and followed his siblings south. — Adam Van Brimmer, AJC.com, 30 June 2026

The drone ships, outfitted with large landing platforms, are seemingly used interchangeably for missions from either the Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island, or the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station located further south. — Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 30 June 2026

Adjective

A couple thousand Bosnian fans, most in royal blue shirts, wedged into the south stands. — Cam Inman, Mercury News, 2 July 2026

Clark, a DFLer, served the Minnesota House from 1981 until her retirement in 2019, representing part of south Minneapolis. — Riley Moser, CBS News, 1 July 2026

Noun

The affected area is bounded by South Ardmore Avenue to the west, South Mariposa Avenue to the east, West 5th Street to the north and West 6th Street to the south. — Seamus Bozeman follow, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026

The heat domes tend to form where the jet stream turns northward, moving up and over the dome itself and leading to strong flows of hot air from the south to the north near the Earth’s surface. — Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 1 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adverb

Middle English, from Old English sūth; akin to Old High German sund- south and probably to Old English sunne sun

First Known Use

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing south

• down south
• east by south
• south by east
• south by west
• southeast by south
• south of
• south pole
• south-seeking pole
• south-southeast
• south-southwest
• southwest by south
• west by south

Rhymes for south

• drouth
• mouth
• routh

Kids Definition

south

1 of 3 adverb

ˈsau̇th 

: to or toward the south

south

2 of 3 adjective

1

: situated toward or at the south

the south entrance

2

: coming from the south

a south wind

south

3 of 3 noun

1

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

South

biographical name

ˈsau̇th 

Robert 1634–1716 English clergyman