a cardinal point of the compass lying directly opposite north. S
the direction in which this point lies.
(usually initial capital letter) a region or territory situated in this direction.
the South, the general area south of Pennsylvania and the Ohio River and east of the Mississippi, consisting mainly of those states that formed the Confederacy.
lying toward or situated in the south; directed or proceeding toward the south.
coming from the south, as a wind.
to, toward, or in the south.
Informal. into a state of serious decline, loss, or the like.
Sales went south during the recession.
to turn or move in a southerly direction.
Astronomy. to cross the meridian.
the southern part of England, generally regarded as lying to the south of an imaginary line between the Wash and the Severn
the area approximately south of Pennsylvania and the Ohio River, esp those states south of the Mason-Dixon line that formed the Confederacy during the Civil War
the Confederacy itself
the countries of the world that are not economically and technically advanced
one of the four cardinal points of the compass, at 180° from north and 90° clockwise from east and anticlockwise from west
the direction along a meridian towards the South Pole
(often capital) any area lying in or towards the south
(usually capital) cards the player or position at the table corresponding to south on the compass
situated in, moving towards, or facing the south
(esp of the wind) from the south
in, to, or towards the south
archaic (of the wind) from the south
before 900; Middle English suth ( e ), south ( e ) (adv., adj., and noun), Old English sūth (adv. and adj.); cognate with Old High German sund-
If you're holding a compass, south is the direction that's directly opposite north. If you're standing in Tennessee, then Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia will be to the south. When you need to head south on a hiking trail, you can consult your compass and turn in the direction that's 180 degrees from north. And if you visit the South of France, you'll be staying in the southern part of the country geographically—luckily for you, it's also the warmest, sunniest part of France. The word south has a Germanic root meaning "sun-side."
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“The risk for Tan is that if things start going south, politicians work on short timelines.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 11, 2026
The BBC's Jake Kwon joined 12 singles on a weekend away at Donghwasa, a Buddhist temple in the south of the country.
From BBC • Jul. 10, 2026
To the south, what remained of the Lineage warehouse loomed on the horizon just over the 5 freeway, its burnt-out walls covered in white plastic sheets and its charred roof still exposed.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 10, 2026
Boeing has big plans for the North Line, envisioning a production cadence comparable to that in Renton, 35 miles to the south, which until this week was the exclusive home of MAX assembly.
From Barron's • Jul. 10, 2026
The brutal south Louisiana weather—hot and unbearably humid— kept the soil wet and soggy, an ideal atmosphere for one of nature’s deadliest creatures: the mosquito.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
