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 McManuse

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

Key Differences Coconut aminos is usually used as a soy sauce substitute, as both are a salty, dark brown sauce with a thin consistency. —Merve Ceylan, Health, 26 Sep. 2025

Drizzle with soy sauce or ponzu, wrap and enjoy. —The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Sep. 2025

Combined with honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, and orange slices, bourbon forms a sticky, sweet glaze that beautifully lacquers the fish. —Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 21 Sep. 2025

So coconut aminos is healthier than soy sauce in relative terms, but the substitute falls short of being the nutritional powerhouse it's sometimes purported to be. —Daryl Austin, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2025

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