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

To the oil remaining in the pan, add the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce and sugar, and stir until the sugar dissolves. —The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 June 2026

In Honolulu, some of the country's best seafood is served with little more than soy sauce, seaweed, and rice. —Jacqueline Dole, Travel + Leisure, 3 June 2026

Toss quick-cooking soba, udon, edamame, or rice noodles with a glossy sauce made with peanut butter, soy sauce, fresh lime juice, a splash of sesame oil, and sriracha to taste. —Lauren Panoff, Verywell Health, 2 June 2026

During the late 19thCentury, Japanese immigrants to Hawaii brought ingredients like soy sauce and sesame oil and tuna became the fish of choice. —Sylvie Bigar, Forbes.com, 31 May 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