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

Use it in salads by marinating in soy sauce, lime juice, and black pepper, cutting it into thin strips, and sauteing with a little coconut oil. — Alessandra Signorelli, Vogue, 25 Sep. 2026

There are many different varieties of ramen across Japan, and Sano ramen is characterized by its blend of soy sauce, pork, and chicken. — Kim Kay, Travel + Leisure, 24 Sep. 2026

Today’s recipe The Chinese flavor in this Chinois chicken salad created for Wolfgang Puck’s Chinois on Main restaurant comes from the dressing ingredients — Chinese mustard, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil and rice vinegar. — Kevinisha Walker, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026

Salty from the soy sauce and sweet from the honey, this salmon is beautifully broiled and a great option for a lighter main with lots of flavor. — Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 14 Sep. 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
• menelaus

Kids Definition

soy sauce

noun

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