1
: to, toward, or in the south
a house facing south
2
: into a state of decline or ruin
causes the sluggish economy to go south—
G. F. Will
G. F. Willsee also south of
1
: situated toward or at the south
the south entrance
2
: coming from the south
a south wind
1
a
: the direction of the south terrestrial pole : the direction to the right of one facing east
b
: the compass point directly opposite to north
2
capitalized
: regions or countries lying to the south of a specified or implied point of orientation
especially
: the southeastern part of the U.S.
3
: the right side of a church looking toward the altar from the nave
4
often capitalized
a
: the one of four positions at 90-degree intervals that lies to the south or at the bottom of a diagram
b
: a person (such as a bridge player) occupying this position in the course of a specified activity
specifically
: the declarer in bridge
5
often capitalized
: the developing nations of the world : third world sense 1 compare north sense 2b
Examples of south in a Sentence
Adverb
Turn south onto Elm Street.
It's a mile south of here.
The birds fly south in the winter.
The company's profits have gone south in recent months.
The TV show's ratings have been heading south.
Noun
The wind blew from the south.
The birds migrate from the South.
Parts of the South were hit hard by the storm.
I grew up in the South.
The American Civil War was between the North and the South.
Recent Examples on the WebAbby Hamblin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Apr. 2024
Wind gusts as high as 50 mph will extend from Idaho to Maine and as far south as Georgia on Friday night, AccuWeather said.
—Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 12 Apr. 2024
According to the initial investigation, Zumwalt was headed south on Todd George Road.
—Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 12 Apr. 2024
Chiricahua National Monument Where: From Willcox, drive south on State Route 186 for 32 miles to the junction of SR 181.
—Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 11 Apr. 2024
Both state and federal water projects pull water out of the beleaguered estuary and ship it south, primarily to reservoirs for farms in the San Joaquin Valley.
—Ari Plachta, Sacramento Bee, 8 Apr. 2024
Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant claimed in February that the military had defeated Hamas in the Khan Younis and was preparing to invade Rafah, which sits about five miles south along the border with Egypt, and where more than 1.2 million Palestinians are now displaced.
—Joe Hernandez, NPR, 7 Apr. 2024
Investigators think the driver of a 2007 Ford F-150 was traveling south in the parking lot toward the front entrance of the store, came to a stop, then turned to go eastbound, police said in a news release.
—Nicole Lopez, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Apr. 2024
Their trucks left around 9 p.m. and headed south for the group’s warehouse, according to the Israeli military.
—Adam Rasgon, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2024
Rick Mauch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Apr. 2024
The two ate dinner and went to a bar before going to Anderson's home on Milwaukee's south side.
—Elliot Hughes, Journal Sentinel, 12 Apr. 2024
Parking is free in the lot on the south side of the building.
—David Hudnall, Kansas City Star, 11 Apr. 2024
The glass jars lining the shelves of this compact unit in central Plymouth, on the south coast of England, are filled with cow parsley, red clover, and corn chamomile.
—Frankie Adkins, WIRED, 10 Apr. 2024
The man was last seen on Milwaukee's near south side at 9 p.m. Tuesday.
—Elliot Hughes, Journal Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2024
That is certainly the case in Yemen, on the south flank of the Arabian Peninsula, where the desert sands have a new look these days.
—Fred Pearce, WIRED, 9 Mar. 2024
The south wind will be 8 to 15 mph, becoming northwest in the afternoon.
—Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 8 Mar. 2024
Wanda Buchanan, a teacher, has lived for 49 years in the same home on Chisholm Trail, a road that overlooks large fields on the south edge of town.
—Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2024
Claire Parker, Washington Post, 9 Apr. 2024
In my native country, Iraq, people who live on marshes in the south have built floating-reed dwellings for thousands of years.
—The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024
Imports through Ashdod will be more efficient than via El Arish, and delivering aid directly to northern Gaza should avoid the difficulties of transporting goods there from the south.
—Shira Efron, Foreign Affairs, 15 Apr. 2024
Police said Holbert hit a 13-year-old boy who was biking across the crosswalk from south to north.
—Abigail Celaya, The Arizona Republic, 14 Apr. 2024
To the south is the 36,000-acre Chamela-Cuixmala Biosphere Reserve, where there's a limit on development and an emphasis on protecting the natural beauty and wildlife.
—Meagan Drillinger, Travel + Leisure, 13 Apr. 2024
After months of military setbacks, however, many here wonder whether the long front lines that arc across Ukraine’s south and east can hold, or even whether Russian troops could seize a major city.
—Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
The wider security footprint extends from Cherry Street to the north to West Clybourn Street on the south and from North Water Street on the east to North 9th Street on the west.
—Alison Dirr, Journal Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2024
In nearby Vietnam, the heat wave brought intense droughts to the south – driving temperatures up to nearly 104 degrees Fahrenheit and wreaking havoc on the country’s vital agriculture industry.
—Heather Chen, CNN, 10 Apr. 2024
Adverb
Participating shops can be found as far north as Carmel Valley and as far south as Barrio Logan and Coronado.
—Abby Hamblin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Apr. 2024
Wind gusts as high as 50 mph will extend from Idaho to Maine and as far south as Georgia on Friday night, AccuWeather said.
—Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 12 Apr. 2024
According to the initial investigation, Zumwalt was headed south on Todd George Road.
—Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 12 Apr. 2024
Chiricahua National Monument Where: From Willcox, drive south on State Route 186 for 32 miles to the junction of SR 181.
—Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 11 Apr. 2024
Both state and federal water projects pull water out of the beleaguered estuary and ship it south, primarily to reservoirs for farms in the San Joaquin Valley.
—Ari Plachta, Sacramento Bee, 8 Apr. 2024
Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant claimed in February that the military had defeated Hamas in the Khan Younis and was preparing to invade Rafah, which sits about five miles south along the border with Egypt, and where more than 1.2 million Palestinians are now displaced.
—Joe Hernandez, NPR, 7 Apr. 2024
Investigators think the driver of a 2007 Ford F-150 was traveling south in the parking lot toward the front entrance of the store, came to a stop, then turned to go eastbound, police said in a news release.
—Nicole Lopez, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Apr. 2024
Their trucks left around 9 p.m. and headed south for the group’s warehouse, according to the Israeli military.
—Adam Rasgon, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2024
Adjective
Both the food truck park and farmers market are at 752 S. Knowles Drive, which is at the south end of Willow Creek Park.
—Rick Mauch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Apr. 2024
The two ate dinner and went to a bar before going to Anderson's home on Milwaukee's south side.
—Elliot Hughes, Journal Sentinel, 12 Apr. 2024
Parking is free in the lot on the south side of the building.
—David Hudnall, Kansas City Star, 11 Apr. 2024
The glass jars lining the shelves of this compact unit in central Plymouth, on the south coast of England, are filled with cow parsley, red clover, and corn chamomile.
—Frankie Adkins, WIRED, 10 Apr. 2024
The man was last seen on Milwaukee's near south side at 9 p.m. Tuesday.
—Elliot Hughes, Journal Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2024
That is certainly the case in Yemen, on the south flank of the Arabian Peninsula, where the desert sands have a new look these days.
—Fred Pearce, WIRED, 9 Mar. 2024
The south wind will be 8 to 15 mph, becoming northwest in the afternoon.
—Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 8 Mar. 2024
Wanda Buchanan, a teacher, has lived for 49 years in the same home on Chisholm Trail, a road that overlooks large fields on the south edge of town.
—Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2024
Noun
Israel promised last week to open an additional crossing for aid to the northern Gaza Strip, and Sunday pulled most of its troops from the south.
—Claire Parker, Washington Post, 9 Apr. 2024
In my native country, Iraq, people who live on marshes in the south have built floating-reed dwellings for thousands of years.
—The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024
Imports through Ashdod will be more efficient than via El Arish, and delivering aid directly to northern Gaza should avoid the difficulties of transporting goods there from the south.
—Shira Efron, Foreign Affairs, 15 Apr. 2024
Police said Holbert hit a 13-year-old boy who was biking across the crosswalk from south to north.
—Abigail Celaya, The Arizona Republic, 14 Apr. 2024
To the south is the 36,000-acre Chamela-Cuixmala Biosphere Reserve, where there's a limit on development and an emphasis on protecting the natural beauty and wildlife.
—Meagan Drillinger, Travel + Leisure, 13 Apr. 2024
After months of military setbacks, however, many here wonder whether the long front lines that arc across Ukraine’s south and east can hold, or even whether Russian troops could seize a major city.
—Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
The wider security footprint extends from Cherry Street to the north to West Clybourn Street on the south and from North Water Street on the east to North 9th Street on the west.
—Alison Dirr, Journal Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2024
In nearby Vietnam, the heat wave brought intense droughts to the south – driving temperatures up to nearly 104 degrees Fahrenheit and wreaking havoc on the country’s vital agriculture industry.
—Heather Chen, CNN, 10 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'south.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near south
Cite this Entry
“South.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/south. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
south
1 of 3 adverb
: to or toward the south
south
2 of 3 adjective1
: situated toward or at the south
the south entrance
2
: coming from the south
a south wind
south
3 of 3 noun1
a
: the direction to the right of one facing east
b
: the compass point opposite to north
2
capitalized
: regions or countries south of a point that is mentioned or understood
especially
: the southeastern part of the U.S.
Biographical Definition
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share