soupçon

American  

[soop-sawn, soop-sawn] / supˈsɔ̃, ˈsup sɔ̃ /

noun

1. a slight trace, as of a particular taste or flavor.

   Synonyms:

   vestige, hint, bit, dash

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soupçon British  

/ supsɔ̃ /

noun

1. a slight amount; dash

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Etymology

Origin of soupçon

First recorded in 1760–70; from French: literally, “a suspicion,” Middle French sospeçon, from Late Latin suspectiōn- (stem of suspectiō ), for Latin suspīciō suspicion

Explanation

If you ask the waiter for a soupcon of hot sauce on your omelet, he will give you a dash of Tabasco, provided he knows what soupcon means. It's hard for English speakers not to think of soup when they see this word, especially since it can mean a trace of something (such as a flavor), but the ancestor of soupçon is the same one that gives us suspicion and suspect, the Latin suspectionem: the common theme is that of an idea formed from scant evidence.

Example Sentences

The account has gotten widespread attention, in part for mixing its attacks with a soupçon of self-deprecation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 2026

In its 28 previous features, Pixar had dabbled in sci-fi, but “Elio” is immersed in it, with just a soupçon of … horror?

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 23, 2026

You think Manhattan is a soupçon more representative of middle America than San Francisco?

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 14, 2025

In the face of so much frenzied curation and compulsory personal branding, how might a modern human maintain some iota of unshared selfhood, a soupçon of Greta Garbo mystique?

From New York Times • Mar. 9, 2024

“I’m mostly pecans. With just a soupçon of maple sugar.”

From "The Season of Styx Malone" by Kekla Magoon

Related Words

• crumb
• drop
• pinch