# South

/ˈsaʊθ/ (US) · /sˈaʊθ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/south
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. the direction

noun · CEFR A1

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

For teachers: the cardinal point of the compass 180 degrees from north; the direction toward the South Pole.

- The birds fly to the south during the cold winter months.
- The explorers continued their journey toward the south, hoping to reach the coast before their supplies ran low.

### 2. a region

noun · CEFR A2

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

For teachers: a specific geographical area or region situated in the southern part of a country or continent.

- The weather is much warmer in the south of the country.
- Economic development in the south has outpaced the northern provinces due to the expansion of maritime trade routes.

### 3. location or origin

adjective · CEFR A1

located in the south or coming from the south.

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

- They live on the south side of the city near the park.
- The south wind brought a sudden increase in humidity, signaling the approach of a tropical storm system.

### 4. movement toward

adverb · CEFR A1

towards the south.

For teachers: in a southern direction.

- We drove south for three hours until we reached the ocean.
- The highway stretches south for hundreds of miles, cutting through the heart of the desert landscape.

### 5. declining or failing

adverb · CEFR C1 · Informal

to become worse or to fail.

For teachers: to decline in value, quality, or success; often used in financial or performance contexts.

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

### 6. physics/magnetism

noun · CEFR B2 · Technical

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

For teachers: the pole of a magnet that seeks the south geographic pole of the Earth.

- The south pole of the magnet will attract the north pole of another.
- In this experiment, students must identify the south pole of the electromagnet by observing its interaction with a standard compass needle.

## Examples

- The birds fly south for the winter.
- Most of the windows in the new house face south to catch as much sunlight as possible during the day.
- The explorers continued their journey toward the south, hoping to reach the coast before their supplies were exhausted by the harsh conditions.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.