sauce

noun

ˈsȯs 

usually

ˈsas 

for sense 3

plural sauces

1

a

: a liquid or semisolid food mixture used especially as a topping or ingredient for adding to or enhancing the flavor of a dish

pasta with tomato sauce

hot sauce

soy sauce

a cheese/cream sauce

desserts topped with chocolate sauce

b

: stewed fruit eaten with other food or as a dessert

cranberry sauce

see also applesauce

2

: something that adds zest, interest, or excitement

New experiences are the sauce of life.

3

: rude or impolite language or actions

I've had enough of your sauce!

4

the sauce slang : liquor

Stay off the sauce, especially if you're taking the antibiotic metronidazole …

—Elizabeth Goodman

see also:

secret sauce special sauce

Synonyms of sauce

• dressing

Examples of sauce in a Sentence

She tried several sauces before she found one she liked.

chicken in a cream sauce

Cover the strawberries with the chocolate sauce.

This pizza needs more sauce.

I've had enough of your sauce!

Recent Examples on the Web

The Chicago native, who has worked at The Wiener's Circle for 28 years, dishes out char-dogs, Polish sausages, freshly cut fries with cheddar sauce, and insults. —Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 June 2026

These are wines that pair beautifully with rich dishes, oily, unctuous fish with tomato, and pasta sauces that are rich and fatty. —Valentina Di Donato, Forbes.com, 6 June 2026

And these, fried and tossed in this savory sauce of peppers, onions, garlic and spices, are among the most popular dishes on the menu. —Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 June 2026

Get free Korean donuts at Bonchon Bonchon Korean Fried Chicken is offering customers one of its signature Korean donuts, coated in cinnamon sugar and served with a sweet cream dipping sauce, free with any purchase of $15 or more. —Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 4 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin salsa, feminine of salsus salted, from past participle of sallere to salt, from sal salt — more at salt

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing sauce

• Alfredo sauce
• barbecue sauce
• béarnaise sauce
• béchamel sauce
• bechamel sauce
• Bordelaise sauce
• brown sauce
• Buffalo sauce
• chili sauce
• cocktail sauce
• duck sauce
• hard sauce
• hoisin sauce
• hot fudge sauce
• hot sauce
• mornay sauce
• mother sauce
• Nantua sauce
• off the sauce
• on the sauce
• secret sauce
• soya sauce
• soy sauce
• special sauce
• tartare sauce
• tartar sauce
• weak sauce
• what's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander
• white sauce
• Worcestershire sauce

Rhymes for sauce

• blas
• bos
• boss
• bosse
• clos
• crosse
• dos
• doss
• dross
• floss
• foss
• fosse

Kids Definition

sauce

1 of 2 noun

ˈsȯs 

1

: a thick liquid that is eaten with or on food to add flavor

a tangy pasta sauce

ice cream with chocolate sauce

2

: boiled or canned fruit

cranberry sauce

3

: rude or impolite language or actions

sauce

2 of 2 verb

sauced; saucing

1

: to add sauce to : season

2

: to be rude or impudent to