English Reference
Word noun · adjective · adverb

south

n. · adj. · adv.
US /ˈsaʊθ/ UK /sˈaʊθ/ south UK spelling southed
Definition
  1. 01 A1 Beginner

    n.the direction that is to your right when you are facing the rising sun.

    n.the cardinal point of the compass 180 degrees from north; the direction toward the South Pole.

    Simple

    “The birds fly to the south during the cold winter months.”

    In context

    “The explorers continued their journey toward the south, hoping to reach the coast before their supplies ran low.”

    Synonyms
    southward
    Antonyms
    north
  2. 02 A2 Elementary

    n.a part of a country or the world that is in the south.

    n.a specific geographical area or region situated in the southern part of a country or continent.

    Simple

    “The weather is much warmer in the south of the country.”

    In context

    “Economic development in the south has outpaced the northern provinces due to the expansion of maritime trade routes.”

    Synonyms
    southern region
    Antonyms
    north
  3. 03 A1 Beginner

    adj.located in the south or coming from the south.

    adj.situated in, facing, or moving toward the south; also used to describe a wind originating from the south.

    Simple

    “They live on the south side of the city near the park.”

    In context

    “The south wind brought a sudden increase in humidity, signaling the approach of a tropical storm system.”

    Synonyms
    southernsoutherly
    Antonyms
    north
  4. 04 A1 Beginner

    adv.towards the south.

    adv.in a southern direction.

    Simple

    “We drove south for three hours until we reached the ocean.”

    In context

    “The highway stretches south for hundreds of miles, cutting through the heart of the desert landscape.”

    Synonyms
    southwardsouthwards
    Antonyms
    north
  5. 05 C1 Advanced Informal

    adv.to become worse or to fail.

    adv.to decline in value, quality, or success; often used in financial or performance contexts.

    Simple

    “The company's stock prices went south after the bad news.”

    In context

    “The negotiations went south quickly when neither side was willing to compromise on the primary contract terms.”

    Usage

    Commonly used in the phrase 'to go south'.

    Synonyms
    declinedeteriorateplummet
    Antonyms
    improve
  6. 06 B2 Upper Intermediate Technical Science

    n.the part of a magnet that points toward the Earth's south.

    n.the pole of a magnet that seeks the south geographic pole of the Earth.

    Simple

    “The south pole of the magnet will attract the north pole of another.”

    In context

    “In this experiment, students must identify the south pole of the electromagnet by observing its interaction with a standard compass needle.”

    Synonyms
    south pole
    Antonyms
    north pole

Usage south coast · south of the city · south of the border

Etymology

By proprialization from south.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level A1 · Beginner
Frequency Very common
Updated