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
City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 June 2025
At the same time, an 82-year-old man was driving a Toyota Sienna south down Leisure Boulevard, approaching East Copans Road.
—Shira Moolten, Sun Sentinel, 21 June 2025
Ethan Wolin, Sacbee.com, 20 June 2025
Seth Love, a fisheries biologist focused on south Cook County, said in an email Friday that fish kills not caused by pollution are most associated with shallow waterbodies less than 10 feet deep, like the lagoon, and tend to happen in winter and summer.
—Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 20 June 2025
Essence, 24 June 2025
Around midnight, the galaxy’s core begins to rise in the south, its billions of stars visible to anyone with clear dark skies (ideally Bortle class 1–3) and the patience to allow their eyes to adapt to the dark (night vision takes at least 20–30 minutes).
—Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 23 June 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
The officer was traveling westbound on Olympic Parkway and was turning left to travel south on Windingwalk Street when the motorcyclist, who was traveling eastbound on Olympic Parkway allegedly crashed onto the side of police car.
—City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 June 2025
At the same time, an 82-year-old man was driving a Toyota Sienna south down Leisure Boulevard, approaching East Copans Road.
—Shira Moolten, Sun Sentinel, 21 June 2025
Adjective
Police have identified a suspect in connection with Wednesday night’s homicide in south Sacramento.
—Ethan Wolin, Sacbee.com, 20 June 2025
Seth Love, a fisheries biologist focused on south Cook County, said in an email Friday that fish kills not caused by pollution are most associated with shallow waterbodies less than 10 feet deep, like the lagoon, and tend to happen in winter and summer.
—Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 20 June 2025
Noun
As more celebrations spread throughout the south and, more recently, the East Coast, folks have become more intentional about honoring the day.
—Essence, 24 June 2025
Around midnight, the galaxy’s core begins to rise in the south, its billions of stars visible to anyone with clear dark skies (ideally Bortle class 1–3) and the patience to allow their eyes to adapt to the dark (night vision takes at least 20–30 minutes).
—Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 23 June 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 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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