1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

soil 1 of 3

noun (1)

Definition of soilnext
1
as in dirt
foul matter that mars the purity or cleanliness of something got some sort of soil on my white pants

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dung
solid matter discharged from an animal's alimentary canal the horse lifted its tail and deposited its soil on the grass

Synonyms & Similar Words

soil

2 of 3

noun (2)

1
as in ground
the loose surface material in which plants naturally grow bought rich soil to plant flowers in

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in land
the solid part of our planet's surface as distinguished from the sea and air happy to have soil under my feet after that long sea voyage

Synonyms & Similar Words

soil

3 of 3

verb

ˈsȯi(-ə)l How to pronounce soil (audio)
as in to stain
to make dirty oil and grease soiled the mechanic's shirt

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of soil
Noun
Everyone felt the sickening harsh reality that this had happened on our sovereign soil and that it was meant to be an affront to everyone who felt pride in being an American. — Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2026 Given full sun or light shade and anything resembling actual soil, most of them will live for years with little care. — Paul Cappeillo, Louisville Courier Journal, 11 Sep. 2026
Verb
This famed chemist had previously extolled the virtues of fertilizer as the answer to soil exhaustion, so his sudden reversal on the issue left a lasting impression on his contemporaries. — Literary Hub, 23 July 2026 Root vegetables like potatoes and carrots require some degree of tilling to harvest at scale and is less damaging to soil health than glyphosate. — Andrew Watman, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for soil
Recent Examples of Synonyms for soil
  1. dirt
  2. dung
  3. ground
  4. land
  5. stain
  6. muck
  7. sand
  8. earth
Noun
  • Where regular vacuums are made to pick up dust, dirt and pet hair, Shop-Vacs have the power to suck up nails, screws, wires, scraps of wood, metal, plastic and anything that fits inside the hose.
    — BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2026
  • As anyone who shops at Meadow Lane knows, Tribeca is one of the most expensive neighborhoods in Manhattan, which puts it high on the list for the priciest patch of dirt anywhere.
    — Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of dirt
Noun
  • In southern India, for example, villagers are allowing – and even paying – herders to use their land in exchange for dung, the natural fertilizer that farmers need to produce higher-value organic crops.
    — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Behind the cookline equipment, the rodent dung shared space with 20 dead roaches.
    — David J. Neal July 24, Miami Herald, 24 July 2026
Definition of dung
Noun
  • Instead of constructing a large containment structure above ground, the company plans to place the reactor inside a borehole roughly one mile below the surface.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 15 Sep. 2026
  • So prohibiting this technique on safety grounds would also tend to result in higher prices.
    — Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of ground
Noun
  • Fertile lands afforded the capacity to grow export crops that supported farmers and made plantation owners fabulously wealthy.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Before construction began, the lot of land was flat and covered with vegetation.
    — Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of land
Verb
  • The case has attracted widespread attention because the nature of Fortune’s death recalled lynchings in the Southern state, which has a tumultuous civil rights history stained by episodes of racial violence.
    — Sophie Bates, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026
  • More rubbing produces mahogany, tan and brown hues, caused by staining from contact with vegetation.
    — Jim Zumbo, Outdoor Life, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of stain
Noun
  • The film could have only benefited from narrowing its scope away from all the government muck, an attempt to flesh out a mythology for its villains that are scarier simply as faceless, mysterious weapons of mass destruction.
    — Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The deep muck provides a cap for the shallow aquifer, helping to clean and filter freshwater that supplies drinking water for Miami-Dade, Broward, Monroe and parts of Palm Beach County.
    — Jenny Staletovich, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of muck
Noun
  • The quartz silica sand used for the protective glass is mined nearby in Spruce Pine.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Laguna Beach, Dana Point and Carlsbad last week declared local states of emergency, citing coastal erosion and sand loss from the effects of a south swell brought on by Hurricane Marie.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of sand
Noun
  • Each of its elements began, long ago, in the loamy earth, hatching and creeping or slipping, slick and squealing, from the womb of the mind.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Gadolinite was later found to contain several previously unknown elements belonging to the rare-earth group.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of earth

Browse Nearby Words

soigné
soil
soilage
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Soil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/soil. Accessed 17 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on soil

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about soil

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of watershed

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
funny guinea pig in glasses reading a book
Challenging Words You Should Know Vol 2 Words to the wise
See All