miso

¹ American  

[mee-soh, mee-saw] / ˈmi soʊ, ˈmi sɔ /

noun

Japanese Cooking.

1. a fermented seasoning paste of soybeans, often with rice or barley added, used especially to flavor soups and sauces.

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miso- ² American  

1. a combining form meaning “hate,” with the object of hatred specified by the following element.

   misogyny.

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miso ¹ British  

/ ˈmiːsəʊ /

noun

1. a thick brown salty paste made from soya beans, used to flavour savoury dishes, esp soups

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miso- ² British  

combining form

1. indicating hatred

   misogyny

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Etymology

Origin of miso¹

First recorded in 1720–30; from Japanese, probably from dialectal Korean, equivalent to Korean meju “soybean malt”

Origin of miso-²

< Greek, combining form of mīseîn to hate, mîsos hatred

Example Sentences

Coffee pecan torte, spiced pear sponge with miso caramel.

From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026

A swipe of miso, if you have it.

From Salon • Mar. 1, 2026

Acai bowls were recalled over possible plastic contamination, while sesame miso salad and hot honey mustard dressing were recalled over undeclared allergens.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 25, 2026

These are basically peanut-butter cookies to which she adds toasted sesame seeds and, instead of salt, red miso for both salinity and a touch of umami.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025

She also went to my favorite little Japanese cafe and got me a bento box of Japanese fried chicken with rice, miso soup, and potato salad.

From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh