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

Customers can choose from a variety of spicy and savory flavors such as garlic Parmesan, Korean BBQ, mango habanero, soy garlic teriyaki and Yangnyeom, a sweet and savory Korean glaze. — Emma Hall, Sacbee.com, 20 Oct. 2026

For plant protein sources, try beans, lentils, leafy greens or soy; for animal sources, lean meats, fish or yogurt are good choices. — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 20 Oct. 2026

Traditionally, the Cuban government bought staples like chicken, vegetable oil, rice, soy and corn from the United States, along with many other products. — Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2026

Instead of a traditional citrus-soy dip, NoriFish pairs it with a sweet-and-tangy apple ponzu, adding a crisp, modern contrast to all that richness. — Angela Hansberger, AJC.com, 9 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