soju

noun

so·​ju ˈsō-ˌjü How to pronounce soju (audio)
: Korean vodka distilled usually from rice or sweet potato

Examples of soju in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The restaurant offers domestic and Korean beers as well as soju and non-alcoholic drinks. Hanh Truong, Sacramento Bee, 9 Feb. 2024 The soju selection ran deep, the servers were other young Koreans and the menu toggled between Korean and Japanese dishes, as Mr. Lee had lived in Japan for several years. Priya Krishna, New York Times, 5 Feb. 2024 Song-tae Kim and 17 of his friends from church chattered boisterously, some fueled by soju, with the remnants of their dinner — black bean noodles and spicy seafood noodle soup — spread out in front of them. Ashley Ahn, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2024 The meal is ubiquitous across South Korea and beyond, often served alongside beer or soju, a clear, distilled Korean liquor made from rice and other starches. Irvin Zhang, Kansas City Star, 18 Jan. 2024 The production jaunt involves sharing fast food, drinking soju and exploring possible locations. Joan MacDonald, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2023 Many Americans love kimchi, a bulgogi bowl, and soju while grilling at a KBBQ spot. WIRED, 14 Nov. 2023 The eclectic drink menu includes Korean rice beer, soju, and zero-proof cocktails. Shauna Lyon, The New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2023 Another scene, set closer to the present, finds the narrator walking into a restaurant in Manhattan’s Koreatown to trade New York publishing gossip with a group of old friends all the while downing bowls of makgeolli, bottles of soju, and piles of pajeon and jjajangmyeon. Sonia Chopra, Bon Appétit, 18 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'soju.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Korean

First Known Use

1951, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of soju was in 1951

Dictionary Entries Near soju

Cite this Entry

“Soju.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/soju. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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