soy

noun

ˈsȯi 

1

or chiefly British soya

ˈsȯi-ə 

: soybean

Products that contain isoflavones—and are commonly called phytoestrogens—come from plants and legumes (such as soy), and show promise for decreasing hot flashes and may improve cholesterol.

—Michelle P. Warren

Producing meat in this ever-more crowded world requires creating new pastures and planting more land for imported feeds, particularly soy, instead of relying on local grazing.

—The New York Times

—often used before another noun

soy milk

soy protein

a soy latte [=a latte made with soy milk]

2

: a food product made from or containing soy beans: such as

a

: soy sauce

Roy Choi, the Los Angeles restaurateur, advises sneaking a pat of butter and a splash of soy into instant ramen.

—Sam Sifton

b

: tofu, bean curd

In this narrow slice of a restaurant, house-made fried tofu in three flavors … draws crowds for good reason: The shop renders soy into cubes as light and fluffy as scrambled eggs.

—Washingtonian

Examples of soy in a Sentence

His book promotes the health benefits of soy.

The recipe calls for two tablespoons of soy.

Recent Examples on the Web

The pork belly is made up of bread and soy protein and to resemble the meat’s fat, a combination of potato and tapioca starches. — Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Nov. 2026

Miso, soy, and honey are a powerful trio, creating a savory marinade that could make just about anything sing (cod or salmon, broccoli or zucchini, tofu). — Nina Moskowitz, Bon Appetit Magazine, 8 Nov. 2026

And certain plant protein varieties may contain common allergens like soy or nuts. — Maggie Donahue, HEALTH, 5 Nov. 2026

Also available are spicy chicken breast sautéed with lemongrass, Asian basil and peanuts ($32); shaking beef ($45), made with diced hanger steak, scallion and chili, and baked Chilean sea bass ($48) with tamarind and soy marinade. — Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 28 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Japanese shōyu

First Known Use

1696, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing soy

• soy boy
• soy milk
• soy sauce

Rhymes for soy

• boy
• choy
• coy
• croy
• foy
• hoi
• hoy
• joy
• loy
• oy
• ploy
• toy

Kids Definition

soy

noun

ˈsȯi 

1

: soy sauce

2

: soybean