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 Web
Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 28 May 2025
The evacuation zone goes all the way south to the Gaza-Egypt border where Israeli forces have occupied the Philadelphi Corridor, a 14-kilometer (8-mile) strip along the frontier.
—Jeremy Diamond, CNN Money, 27 May 2025
Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 29 May 2025
On the south side of Nichols Road — book-ended by Lululemon to the east and the the former Victoria’s Secret (closed in 2022) to the west — four out of 10 shops (40%) along the south side of the road are empty.
—Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 29 May 2025
Oliver Kay, New York Times, 30 May 2025
That snapped the Packers’ 11-game winning streak over the Bears, and also marked the first time Green Bay head coach Matt LaFleur lost a game to his neighbors to the south.
—Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for south
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show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Adverb
Things go south, and what this really means is that for his own redemption, and the redemption of the pizzeria, and to win back the girl, and probably a few other reasons, Li must fight Connor.
—Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 28 May 2025
The evacuation zone goes all the way south to the Gaza-Egypt border where Israeli forces have occupied the Philadelphi Corridor, a 14-kilometer (8-mile) strip along the frontier.
—Jeremy Diamond, CNN Money, 27 May 2025
Adjective
River City High School is on the south side of Highway 50.
—Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 29 May 2025
On the south side of Nichols Road — book-ended by Lululemon to the east and the the former Victoria’s Secret (closed in 2022) to the west — four out of 10 shops (40%) along the south side of the road are empty.
—Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 29 May 2025
Noun
To the south, there’s the United Arab Emirates, where again, there has been an uneasy relationship at times.
—Oliver Kay, New York Times, 30 May 2025
That snapped the Packers’ 11-game winning streak over the Bears, and also marked the first time Green Bay head coach Matt LaFleur lost a game to his neighbors to the south.
—Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for south
Cite this Entry
“South.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/south. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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
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