southeast

1 of 3

adverb

south·​east sau̇th-ˈēst 

nautical sau̇-ˈēst

: to, toward, or in the southeast

southeast

2 of 3

noun

1

a

: the general direction between south and east

b

: the point midway between the south and east compass points

2

Southeast : regions or countries lying to the southeast of a specified or implied point of orientation

southeast

3 of 3

adjective

1

: coming from the southeast

a southeast wind

2

: situated toward or at the southeast

the southeast corner

Examples of southeast in a Sentence

Adverb

It's a few miles southeast of here.

Noun

A mountain range is in the southeast of the country.

Rain is moving into the Southeast.

He grew up in the Southeast.

Adjective

My office is in the southeast corner of the building.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

Kinston is about an 80-mile drive southeast from downtown Raleigh. —Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 22 June 2026

The bird was found at Cape Le Grand National Park near Esperance, about 700 kilometers southeast of Perth, and the detection was confirmed by CSIRO’s Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness. —John Drake, Forbes.com, 21 June 2026

Noun

On Tuesday, a few lingering showers will remain possible east and southeast of the metroplex, but most of North Texas should begin drying out. —Lauren Bostwick, CBS News, 15 June 2026

Extreme southeast Texas to much of western and northern Louisiana and west-central Mississippi have the most significant flood risk. —Chris Dolce, CNN Money, 15 June 2026

Adjective

Storms will persist for a time overnight, generally tracking southeast. —Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 17 June 2026

Crawford's tornadoes both hit largely the same southeast area of Woodcock Township. —Finch Walker, USA Today, 17 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

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

Phrases Containing southeast

• east-southeast
• southeast by east
• southeast by south
• south-southeast

Rhymes for southeast

• deceased
• decreased
• increased
• northeast
• policed
• released
• beast
• ceased
• creased
• east
• feast
• fleeced

Kids Definition

southeast

1 of 3 adverb

south·​east sau̇-ˈthēst 

nautical sau̇-ˈēst

: to or toward the southeast

southeast

2 of 3 noun

1

: the direction between south and east

2

capitalized : regions or countries southeast of a point that is mentioned or understood

southeast

3 of 3 adjective

1

: situated toward or at the southeast

the southeast corner

2

: coming from the southeast

a southeast wind