south

adverb

\ ˈsau̇th

Definition of south

(Entry 1 of 4)

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

south

adjective

Definition of south (Entry 2 of 4)

1 : situated toward or at the south the south entrance

2 : coming from the south a south wind

south

noun

Definition of south (Entry 3 of 4)

1a : 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

South

biographical name

\ ˈsau̇th

Definition of South (Entry 4 of 4)

Robert 1634–1716 English clergyman

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

The couple sold a prior home just south on West 10th Street for $18.25 million in 2015, public records show. — Katherine Clarke, WSJ, "Sarah Jessica Parker, Liv Tyler and More: A Power Block in Greenwich Village," 14 Feb. 2019 According to federal prosecutors, Daleo picked up at least 13 packages at the San Ysidro post office box prior to the one he was caught with Aug. 29, while heading south on Interstate 5 toward Tijuana. — Alex Riggins, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Former San Diego-area Border Patrol agent admits to drug charge in federal court," 12 July 2018 The driver, 72, who lives in the area, was headed south on Yorktown Road near Suwanne Place and was passing an ice cream truck that was stopped on the opposite side of the road when the child ran into the road, authorities said. — Dana Hedgpeth, Washington Post, "Family member assaults driver after girl is struck in road, Md. police say," 12 July 2018 Police said a gray Volkswagen was heading south on Northwest 89th Avenue when the driver lost control and crashed into a tree. — Carli Teproff, miamiherald, "911 call reporting hit-and-run crash leads to deadly discovery, police say," 12 July 2018 For the second time in about two weeks, a man was seen clutching the hood of a car speeding south on Interstate 95 and on the streets of Miami-Dade. — Wayne K. Roustan, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Another man seen clutching onto speeding car in Miami-Dade," 11 July 2018 When the suspect left, the teller told a security guard, who went outside and saw the suspect walk south on Grand. — Tony Rizzo, kansascity, "KC man's alleged to do list: Wake up. Rob same bank for 2nd time. Go shoe shopping.," 10 July 2018 Then, head south on the Richardson Highway to Valdez. — Scott Mcmurren, Anchorage Daily News, "Playing tour guide this summer for visitors to Alaska? Here are some fun itineraries," 7 July 2018 The parade starts at the intersection of Towsontown and Bosley avenues, heads north up Bosley Avenue, east across Allegheny Avenue and finally south on Washington Avenue. — Leah Brennan, baltimoresun.com, "Baltimore's Rosie the Riveters to lead 124th Towson 4th of July Parade," 28 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

That would be Robert Jay Mathews, founder of the brutal neo-Nazi gang The Order, killed in a shootout with the FBI on the south end of the island 34 years ago. — Erik Lacitis, The Seattle Times, "‘Bucolic’ Whidbey Island surprised at skinhead headlines — and recent Lynnwood assault," 31 Dec. 2018 The water caused breaches in the dam on the south end of the lake, which is flowing back into the river. — Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, "North Carolina dam at retired power plant breaches, may release coal ash into river," 21 Sep. 2018 The company said water was flowing out of the south end of Sutton Lake in a second breach, and that cenospheres are leaking into the Cape Fear River. — Erin Ailworth, WSJ, "Flood Shuts Down N.C. Power Plant, Sweeps Waste Into River," 21 Sep. 2018 As neighbors gathered at the south end of the crime scene, a man wearing a Seattle Seahawks jersey pulled up on a motorcycle. — Hannah Leone, chicagotribune.com, "82-year-old man shot in Chatham: 'It's senseless nonsense and it has to stop'," 13 July 2018 Roanoke, already known for aggressively attracting restaurants, has seen a wave of openings within the past 12 months or so, almost all of them on the south end of the Oak Street strip where ChopShop Live is. — Robert Philpot, star-telegram, "Talking shop — Roanoke ChopShop Live, that is — with Randy Rogers," 11 July 2018 Oceanside's Yankee Doodle Dinghy Parade: Boat parade starts 1 p.m. July 4 in the Oceanside Harbor at the Oceanside Yacht Club and continues on to the south end of the harbor. — Linda Mcintosh, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Fireworks, parades set to take off in North County," 2 July 2018 One of my favorite features is near the south end of the park. — Scott Mcmurren, Anchorage Daily News, "Surprises await when you explore the green spaces of New York City," 30 June 2018 The structure is located at the south end of the William J. Donovan Bridge. — Linda Girardi, Aurora Beacon-News, "Batavia to sell 1870s-era downtown building to kitchen and bath design firm," 19 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Now, among the best teams, there are more north-south attacks, built by speed and quick shots. — Tom Perrotta, WSJ, "NHL’s Comeback: Loads of Goals and Surprises," 13 Feb. 2019 The city’s Engineering Department conducted a traffic survey in 1937 and found that a north-south bypass on both sides of downtown would be the best solution. — Michelle Baruchman, The Seattle Times, "A look back at the Alaskan Way Viaduct as its demise — and the new Highway 99 tunnel — draw near," 7 Jan. 2019 Previous attempts to build a north-south metro line were met with resistance, as locals objected to the potential damage posed by tunneling through Amsterdam’s historic city center. — Meilan Solly, Smithsonian, "New Website Unearths Amsterdam’s History Via 700,000 Artifacts Spanning 5,000 Years," 2 July 2018 The Good Friday Agreement created north-south and east-west institutions that enabled government officials to coordinate policies (such as agriculture and environment) across the island of Ireland. — Amanda Sloat, Time, "Brexit Could Jeopardize Peace in Northern Ireland—and America Is Ignoring It," 29 June 2018 Congestion is worst on north-south arteries because the designers of the interstate highway system focused more on east-west routes, Turmail says. — Peter Coy, Bloomberg.com, "Activists Finger Nine Highway-Construction ‘Boondoggles’," 27 June 2018 Meanwhile, the Ducks are at a crossroads with the triumvirate of Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Ryan Kesler, east-west players in an NHL that is increasingly bent toward north-south skaters. — Curtis Zupke, latimes.com, "NHL draft: Kings need a scorer; time running out for Ducks to accent vets Getzlaf, Perry and Kesler," 22 June 2018 Each decade, census officials designate a residential center, the point through which a north-south line and an east-west line would cross, dividing the total number of Americans in half. — Mary Carole Mccauley, baltimoresun.com, "Artists explore American identity in Sondheim Artscape Prize exhibit," 21 June 2018 Richburg was an effective north-south blocker in New York, and Garnett’s fundamental pull-blocking shined on film his rookie year. — Andy Benoit, SI.com, "Jimmy Garoppolo Takes Charge, Richard Sherman Steps In: 10 Thoughts on the 49ers," 18 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'south.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.