soy sauce

noun

variants or less commonly soy or chiefly British soya sauce

: a brown, salty liquid that is made by subjecting soybeans and roasted grain (such as wheat) to long fermentation in brine and is used especially in Asian cooking and as a condiment

At its most basic, soy sauce is a fermented liquid made from soybeans and wheat. Soybeans contribute a strong, pungent taste, while wheat lends sweetness.

—Lisa McManus

My most recent kick has been Chinese. For more than a year now I've been stir-frying everything in ginger and garlic and adding soy sauce.

—Andrew A. Rooney

see shoyu

Examples of soy sauce in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Using his chopsticks, Elijah dunked a dumpling into a tiny bowl of soy sauce. —Literary Hub, 9 Mar. 2026

Paired with Korean rice cakes, almost a stick of butter, and a pantry powerhouse sauce (miso, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, and toasted sesame oil), each bowl tastes like a ray of sunshine. —The Bon Appétit Staff, Bon Appetit Magazine, 6 Mar. 2026

For example, adding miso or soy sauce to a dish adds depth and richness. —Amy Brownstein, Verywell Health, 4 Mar. 2026

Once fully cooked, it is finished off with more soy sauce, chili crisp, scallions, and sesame seeds. —Joseph Erbentraut, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1775, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for soy sauce

• across
• backcross
• crisscross
• lacrosse
• recross
• tomas
• albatross
• applesauce
• barabbas
• helios
• kshatriyas
• blas

Kids Definition

soy sauce

noun

: a brown sauce made from soybeans and used especially in Chinese and Japanese cooking