ENGLISH
REFERENCE

soy

n. · adj.
US //ˈsɔɪ// UK //sˈɔɪ// soy
  1. 1 the bean or its protein (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    a type of bean used to make milk, tofu, and other food products.

    the soybean (Glycine max) or the protein and oil derived from it, frequently used as a meat or dairy alternative.

    Example

    Many people choose soy milk as an alternative to cow's milk.

    Example

    The food processing industry relies heavily on soy protein as a functional ingredient in a wide variety of vegetarian products.
  2. 2 the sauce (n.)
    B1 Intermediate Cooking

    a salty, dark brown liquid made from fermented beans, used in cooking.

    a salty liquid condiment produced by fermenting soybeans with salt and water.

    Example

    He added a little soy to the stir-fry to give it more flavour.

    Example

    Traditional soy is aged for several months to develop a complex umami profile that cannot be replicated by chemically produced alternatives.
    • soy sauce
  3. 3 weak or unmasculine (adj.)
    C2 Proficiency Slang Informal

    a rude way to describe a man who is seen as weak or not 'manly' enough.

    a derogatory descriptor used in online subcultures to characterise a man as weak, overly sensitive, or lacking traditional masculine traits.

    Example

    He was tired of being called a soy boy just because he liked art.

    Example

    The forum was filled with users hurling soy insults at anyone who expressed a moderate opinion on the matter.

    Usage

    Often used as a modifier in compound terms like 'soy boy'.

    Teacher's tip

    This sense is highly informal and often offensive; it is primarily found in aggressive online political or social debates.
Etymology 1

Etymology tree Chinese 醬油 /酱油 (jiàngyóu)obor. Japanese 醤油 Japanese そやbor. Dutch sojabor. English soy 1670s; borrowed from Dutch soja, from the Satsuma pronunciation of Japanese 醤油 (soi), variant of the standard Japanese 醤油 (shōyu). Doublet of shoyu, orthographic borrowing from Middle Chinese 醬油 (tsjàng-yuw), from 醬 (tsjangᴴ, “bean paste”) + 油 (“oil”).

Etymology 2

Borrowed from French soie (“silk”), soye, from Middle French soye, from Old French soie, earlier seie, from Latin sēta, saeta, from Proto-Italic saitā, from Proto-Indo-European séh₂ito-, sh₂éyto-, from sh₂ey-, *seh₂i- (“to bind”). Doublet of seta.

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

Last updated June 20, 2026