south

adverb \ ˈsau̇th \

|Updated on: 12 Jun 2018

Examples: south in a Sentence

Definition of south

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

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See south defined for kids

Examples of south in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples of south from the Web

Mahoney lives about a mile south of Haverstick Woods in the floodplain of the White River.

— emily hopkins, Indianapolis Star, "Nora residents sue the city over controversial zoning decision," 6 June 2018
Virgin Orbit found nearly 200,000 square feet of space for a rocket factory and offices in Long Beach, about 30 miles south of the art gallery.

— eric berger, Ars Technica, "With a simple and cheap rocket, Virgin Orbit aims for the extraordinary," 4 June 2018
Built in the early 1900s, the structure, about 70 miles south of Ruby, was still in decent shape about 75 years later.

— ned rozell, Anchorage Daily News, "Alaska structures crumble without human attention. Water is the main cause.," 4 June 2018
An upgraded lodging option is Northlake Estates (863-946-0700), about 2 miles south of Harney Pond Canal on Highway 78.

— steve waters, miamiherald, "Despite warm temperatures, bass are still spawning and creating some thrilling fishing," 1 June 2018
Rise Communities is developing the 2,700-acre community just south of Pearland.

— katherine feser, Houston Chronicle, "Meridiana opens new section with smaller lots, home prices," 31 May 2018
The latest resort to emphasize par-three courses is Big Cedar Lodge, surrounded by 3,000 acres of Ozark Mountain wilderness 8 miles south of tourist magnet Branson, Mo., with its theme parks and country music bars.

— john paul newport, WSJ, "The New Golf Vacation: Quicker, Easier and More Fun," 31 May 2018
Braun says the Tuesday explosion destroyed a corner of a two-story medical building in Aliso Viejo, about 50 miles south of Los Angeles, that housed Krajnyak’s skin care spa, Magyar Kozmetika.

— christine pelisek, PEOPLE.com, "Charge of Possessing an Explosive Dropped Against Ex-Boyfriend of Victim in Spa Bombing," 30 May 2018
By Aimee Levitt The City Museum in Saint Louis will do anything—even risk eternal damnation—to build its Louis Sullivan collection The Chicago School is alive and well—300 miles south of the city.

— reader staff, Chicago Reader, "The Road Trips Issue 2018," 30 May 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.

Origin and Etymology of south

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

south

adjective

Definition of south

1 : situated toward or at the south

the south entrance

2 : coming from the south

a south wind

See south defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of south from the Web

The south London outfit came close to landing the former Valencia stopper in January, although the deal eventually fell through with an agreement under the Bosman ruling made shortly after the closing of the winter transfer window.

— SI.com, "Crystal Palace Confirm Signing of Free Transfer Vicente Guaita on Three-Year Deal," 8 June 2018
WYOMING Summer movie set for June 22 Wyoming will offer its Pics in the Park on Friday, June 22, on the south lawn of the Wyoming Civic Center, 1 Worthington Ave.

— nancy daly, Cincinnati.com, "Green Township warns about energy scammers," 8 June 2018
Kirsch said the Dolton man was trying to illegally sell handguns to an ATF informant in the Little Village neighborhood, and met with the informant Thursday morning in south suburban Lansing.

— crimesider staff, CBS News, "Manhunt for suspect after ATF agent shot in undercover gun buy operation," 8 June 2018
The matter is particularly urgent in south Florida because experts say that Takata airbags located in hot, humid areas are especially susceptible to exploding, hurling fiery shrapnel into drivers and passengers.

— nathan bomey, USA TODAY, "South Florida vehicle owners urged to respond to recall of Takata exploding airbags," 8 June 2018
The idea of south Charlotte having a bigger voice isn't new.

— ely portillo, charlotteobserver, "A new group is pushing for better roads, more spending in a booming part of Charlotte," 7 June 2018
Along with support from other south-of-Delta water agencies, Metropolitan's commitment put the project within striking distance of being fully funded after years of planning.

— dale kasler and ryan sabalow, sacbee, "Southern California already supports the Delta tunnels. But now it's voting again," 7 June 2018
The cost of the south central light-rail extension is expected to top $700 million.

— jessica boehm, azcentral, "South Phoenix neighbors push to stop Central Avenue light-rail expansion," 6 June 2018
Other anglers have reported catching whites and big wipers trolling around Walnut Creek, the south bluffs, and along the dam.

— tyler mahoney special to the star, kansascity, "Fishing report: Nineteen-pound channel cat caught at Wyandotte," 6 June 2018

First Known Use of south

before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

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south

noun

Definition of south

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 1 — compare north 2b

See south defined for English-language learners

Examples of south in a Sentence

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 of south from the Web

It can be refilled for as long as smelling like a garden in the south of France sounds good.

— shannon barbour, The Cut, "Mugler’s New Perfume Was Inspired by Gardens and Monks," 8 June 2018
Three of the mosques are in Vienna, two in the northwest of the country and one in the south.

— New York Times, "Austria Closes 7 Mosques and Seeks to Expel Imams Paid by Turkey," 8 June 2018
The main fighting force is led by the UAE, which has already taken several Yemeni ports in the south.

— The Economist, "Yemen’s main port could become the next battleground," 7 June 2018
His parents moved more than 800 miles from their home in Shandong province to Fujian, in the south, in July 2017 to give him a better chance of scoring highly in the country's university entrance exam -- the gaokao.

— elaine wang, CNN, "China's exam migrants desperate for chance to sit life-changing gaokao," 6 June 2018
Six Indian states are involved in battles over the river waters of the Yamuna in the north, the Narmada in the midwest and the Cauvery in the south.

— kamakshi ayyar, Time, "The Global Water Crisis: Why Are India’s Taps Running Dry?," 6 June 2018
Since 2000, Eythorsdottir has been monitoring a terminus at Langjokull, a large glacier in the south of Iceland 100 times the size of Snaefellsjokull.

— gloria dickie, WIRED, "Humans Tracked Iceland's Glaciers For Ages. Now, Tech Does," 5 June 2018
Deauville, a lavish seaside resort in the south of France, was the place to be in 1913.

— megan decker, Harper's BAZAAR, "A Look Inside Coco Chanel’s Favorite Seaside Destination," 1 June 2018
But Gucci put the nail in the proverbial coffin, hosting their 2019 resort collection in Alyscamps, a Roman burial ground just outside the walls of the ancient town of Arles, located in the south of France between Marseille and Montpellier.

— mara balagtas, Condé Nast Traveler, "Why Gucci Chose a UNESCO World Heritage Site for Its 2019 Cruise Collection Show," 31 May 2018

First Known Use of south

13th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

South

biographical name \ ˈsau̇th \

Definition of South

Robert 1634–1716 English clergyman

SOUTH Defined for English Language Learners

south

adverb

Definition of south for English Language Learners

: to or toward the south
: into a worse state or condition

south

adjective

Definition of south for English Language Learners

: located in or toward the south
: coming from the south

south

noun

Definition of south for English Language Learners

: the direction that is to your right when you are facing the rising sun : the direction that is the opposite of north
: regions or countries south of a certain point; especially : the southern part of the U.S.