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
Elizabeth Weise, USA Today, 14 July 2025
New Haven is about a 40-mile drive south from Hartford.
—Don Sweeney, Miami Herald, 13 July 2025
Sacbee.com, 14 July 2025
The south lane on West Fifth Street between Throckmorton Street and Lamar Street will be closed then.
—Brayden Garcia
july 14, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 July 2025
Ed Masley, AZCentral.com, 14 July 2025
Cyprus is an European Union country, but has been divided between its Greek-speaking south and Turkish-speaking north since 1974.
—Katie Nadworny, Travel + Leisure, 14 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for south
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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
Heading south down the West Coast, seismologists are also monitoring the Axial Seamount, a massive undersea volcano located 300 miles off the Oregon coast.
—Elizabeth Weise, USA Today, 14 July 2025
New Haven is about a 40-mile drive south from Hartford.
—Don Sweeney, Miami Herald, 13 July 2025
Adjective
Chloe Ca Phe currently supplies small coffee shops in south Sacramento and a shop in Texas.
—Sacbee.com, 14 July 2025
The south lane on West Fifth Street between Throckmorton Street and Lamar Street will be closed then.
—Brayden Garcia
july 14, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 July 2025
Noun
From the north: Take Loop 101 south, exit at Glendale Avenue and turn right onto Glendale Avenue.
—Ed Masley, AZCentral.com, 14 July 2025
Cyprus is an European Union country, but has been divided between its Greek-speaking south and Turkish-speaking north since 1974.
—Katie Nadworny, Travel + Leisure, 14 July 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 21 Jul. 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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