south

1 of 3

adverb

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 southG. F. 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
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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adverb
Leaflets carrying the message, which included a map directing residents across northern Gaza to travel westward to the coast before going south, were also dropped across the north. Lucas Lilieholm, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2025 The area, about a 125-mile drive south from New York City, brings in about 27 million people every year, according to city officials. Helena Wegner, Miami Herald, 9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
That goal at Chelsea came during the now 21-year-old forward’s golden spell at the south-coast club. Andy Naylor, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2025 In August, Massachusetts officials warned residents and visitors to Buzzards Bay, a community on the south end of Cape Cod, after a person there was infected with Vibrio vulnificus. Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025
Noun
But the salad days of spiders and mosquitoes may only last a short while, with adult dowitchers wrangling their months-old babies and guiding them to warmth via the Pacific Flyway, a north-south migration route stretching from Alaska to Patagonia in South America. Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 4 Sep. 2025 The new landing locations at SLC-40 and LC-39A will replace Landing Zones 1 and 2, nearly 10 miles to the south. Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 4 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for south

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of south was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“South.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/south. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

south

1 of 3 adverb
: 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

Robert 1634–1716 English clergyman

More from Merriam-Webster on south

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