sauce
gb/sˈɔs/ us/sˈɔs/
A2
English
~ 5800
szósz, mártás, pia, menőség, kisugárzás, stílus, szósszal meglocsol, szósszal tálal, szemtelenkedés, feleselés, forrás, eredeti link, felesel, szemtelenkedik
NOUN
A2
1
Usage pattern:
to serve [food] with [sauce]
We had grilled chicken with a creamy mushroom sauce.
Grillezett csirkét ettünk krémes gombaszósszal.
Stir the pasta into the tomato sauce and cook for two more minutes.
Keverd bele a tésztát a paradicsomszószba, és főzd még két percig.
She asked the waiter to bring extra hot sauce for her tacos.
This dish tastes a bit plain without any sauce.
The fish was covered in a light lemon-butter sauce.
Learner examples
I like fries with tomato sauce.
Szeretem a sült krumplit paradicsomszósszal.
He poured soy sauce on his rice.
Szójaszószt öntött a rizsére.
Can I have more sauce on my pasta, please?
This meat is too dry; it needs some sauce.
We made a simple cheese sauce for the vegetables.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'sauce' with 'soup'. 'Soup' is eaten by itself from a bowl with a spoon, while 'sauce' is usually put on other food. Also, learners may forget that 'sauce' is usually uncountable (e.g., 'some sauce', not 'a sauce'), except when talking about different kinds (e.g., 'three different sauces').
Meaning
liquid flavoring served with food
Collocations
tomato sauce
|soy sauce
|hot sauce
|rich sauce
|pour sauce over [food]
|serve with sauce
Synonyms
condiment (General word for substances added to food for flavor; not always liquid like sauce.)
|
gravy (A specific kind of savory sauce made from meat juices.)
Antonyms
dry (Describes food served without any sauce or liquid on it.)
Themes
food
|daily life
|cooking
|food_drink
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A thick liquid that you put on or with food to give it more taste or make it less dry.
A thick liquid or semi-liquid mixture served with food to add flavor, richness, or moisture.
NOUN
B2
INFORMAL
2
pia
A2
Usage pattern:
to be on the sauce
He really hit the sauce after he lost his job.
Miután elvesztette az állását, nagyon rákapott a piára.
People say he's been back on the sauce lately.
Azt beszélik, mostanában megint rákapott a piára.
She promised to lay off the sauce for a while after the accident.
Years of loving the sauce had taken a toll on his health.
Learner examples
He was on the sauce again last night.
Tegnap este megint piált.
After the crash, she decided to stay away from the sauce.
A baleset után úgy döntött, távol tartja magát a piától.
If you keep hitting the sauce, your health will get worse.
His family worries that he likes the sauce too much.
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize that 'the sauce' here is a humorous or negative way to say 'alcohol' and should not be used in formal writing. It is usually used with 'the' (e.g., 'on the sauce', not 'on sauce').
Meaning
alcohol, especially in excess
Collocations
hit the sauce
|on the sauce
|lay off the sauce
|a problem with the sauce
Synonyms
booze (Informal word for alcohol, with a similar casual or negative tone.)
|
alcohol (More neutral and general; not as colorful as 'the sauce'.)
Antonyms
sobriety (Describes the state of not drinking alcohol or not being drunk.)
Themes
daily life
|health
|slang
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Alcohol, especially when someone drinks too much or too often.
Alcoholic drink, especially when someone is drinking a lot or has a drinking problem.
NOUN
B2
SLANG
3
Usage pattern:
to have the sauce
That performer really brought the sauce to the stage tonight.
Az az előadó ma este tényleg nagy stílussal lépett színpadra.
Her outfits always have so much sauce; you can spot her across the room.
A ruhái mindig annyira menők, hogy a szoba másik végéből is kiszúrod.
The new design has more sauce than last year’s boring model.
Learner examples
The singer has real sauce on stage.
Az énekesnek igazi kisugárzása van a színpadon.
His new shoes add some sauce to his look.
Az új cipője ad egy kis plusz stílust a megjelenéséhez.
This video has more sauce than the old one.
She brings the sauce to every game she plays.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this slang meaning with the food meaning and use it in the wrong context. This sense is mainly used in youth, music, and internet culture and is not appropriate for formal writing.
Meaning
impressive style or charisma
Collocations
have the sauce
|bring the sauce
|full of sauce
|dripping with sauce
Synonyms
swagger (Slang for confident style; very close in meaning, but 'sauce' is often more playful or hype-focused.)
|
flair (Suggests a natural talent or style; less slangy than 'sauce'.)
Antonyms
blandness (Describes a lack of interesting or impressive qualities.)
Themes
slang
|pop culture
|emotions
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A cool and special style or energy that makes a person or thing look or feel very impressive.
A noticeable and attractive sense of style, confidence, or charisma that makes someone or something stand out.
VERB
B2
4
Usage pattern:
to sauce [food] with [sauce]
Lightly sauce the vegetables just before bringing them to the table.
Közvetlenül tálalás előtt csak enyhén locsold meg szósszal a zöldségeket.
The chef sauced the steak with a rich red wine reduction.
A séf gazdag, sűrű vörösbor-redukcióval locsolta meg a steaket.
You can sauce the pasta in the pan or at the table.
Learner examples
She sauced the chicken with a lemon sauce.
Citromos szósszal locsolta meg a csirkét.
Sauce the pasta before you put it on the plates.
Keverd össze a tésztát a szósszal, mielőtt a tányérokra teszed.
He forgot to sauce the vegetables, so they tasted dry.
The chef sauced each dish carefully.
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize that 'sauce' can be a verb in cooking English. It is usually used in more careful or professional cooking contexts, not in very casual speech about everyday meals.
Meaning
to cover food with sauce
Collocations
sauce the pasta
|sauce the fish lightly
|sauce the dish just before serving
Synonyms
top (Means to put something on top of food; can be used with many things, not just sauce.)
|
dress (Often used for salads; can also mean to cover food with a sauce or mixture.)
Antonyms
serve plain (To give food with nothing added, especially no sauce.)
Themes
food
|cooking
|daily life
|food_drink
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To add sauce to food before you serve it or eat it.
To put sauce on food or serve food together with sauce.
NOUN
C1
INFORMAL
5
feleselés
B2
Usage pattern:
to give [someone] (some) sauce
Don’t give me any sauce, young man, or you can go to your room.
Semmi szemtelenkedés, fiatalember, különben mehetsz a szobádba.
The teacher was tired of all the sauce she got from the back row.
A tanárnőnek elege volt abból a sok szemtelenkedésből, amit a hátsó sorból kapott.
He was known for his talent and his constant sauce in interviews.
Learner examples
Don't give your parents any sauce.
Ne feleselj a szüleiddel.
The boy answered with sauce and made the teacher angry.
A fiú szemtelenül válaszolt, és feldühítette a tanárt.
She is smart, but she has a lot of sauce.
He got into trouble at school for his sauce.
Common mistake:
Learners may not recognize this older informal meaning and think it refers to food. In this sense, 'sauce' usually appears in set phrases like 'give someone sauce' and cannot be replaced by 'sauce' meaning food.
Meaning
impudent or cheeky talk
Collocations
give me any sauce
|answer back with sauce
|a bit of sauce
|fresh sauce
Synonyms
cheek (Mainly British; very close in meaning, stressing disrespectful boldness.)
|
impudence (More formal; stresses lack of respect and shame.)
Antonyms
respect (Polite behavior and speech that show you value someone.)
Themes
social behavior
|relationships
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Rude or cheeky words or behavior, especially when you answer someone like a parent or teacher without respect.
Rude, disrespectful, or cheeky speech or behavior, especially when someone talks back to a person in authority.
NOUN
C1
SLANG
6
forrás
B1
eredeti link
B1
Usage pattern:
to ask for sauce
Nice artwork, but what's the sauce?
Szép alkotás, de mi a forrás?
People kept replying 'sauce?' under the meme until someone posted the original video.
Az emberek addig írogatták a mém alá, hogy „forrás?”, amíg valaki be nem posztolta az eredeti videót.
If you share a screenshot, please include the sauce in the comments.
Learner examples
They asked, "Sauce?" under the funny picture.
A vicces kép alá azt írták: „Forrás?”
He posted the sauce so everyone could watch the full video.
Közzétette az eredeti linket, hogy mindenki megnézhesse a teljes videót.
When you share a meme, you should give the sauce.
I can't find the sauce for this image.
Common mistake:
Learners may think this is the normal spelling of 'source'. It is internet slang and should be avoided in formal writing and tests. It is mostly used in short online comments.
Meaning
online source or link
Collocations
what's the sauce?
|need sauce
|sauce pls
|post the sauce
Synonyms
source (Standard word; 'sauce' is playful internet slang based on 'source'.)
Themes
internet
|media
|slang
|technology
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Definition
The place where something on the internet first came from, like the original website, link, or file.
The original source, link, or reference for a piece of content, especially an image, video, or quote shared online.
VERB
C1
INFORMAL
7
felesel
B2
Usage pattern:
to sauce [someone]
If you sauce the coach again, you’ll be off the team.
Ha még egyszer feleselsz az edzővel, kiraknak a csapatból.
He got in trouble for saucing the teacher during class.
Bajba került, mert órán feleselt a tanárral.
She isn’t afraid to sauce her boss when she thinks he’s wrong.
Learner examples
Don't sauce your parents when they tell you something.
Ne feleselj a szüleiddel, amikor mondanak neked valamit.
He sauced the teacher and was sent out of the room.
Feleselt a tanárral, ezért kiküldték a teremből.
She often sauces her boss in meetings.
You will get into trouble if you sauce adults.
Common mistake:
Learners may not know this verb sense and try to use 'sauce' only for food. This usage is informal and not very common in modern speech; more frequent in older British English.
Meaning
to talk back rudely
Collocations
sauce the teacher
|sauce his parents
|sauce the boss back
Synonyms
talk back (to) (Common phrasal verb for replying rudely to someone in authority; very close in meaning.)
Antonyms
show respect (To speak politely and accept what someone in authority says.)
Themes
social behavior
|relationships
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To talk to someone, like a parent or teacher, in a rude or cheeky way.
To address someone, especially a person in authority, in a rude, cheeky, or disrespectful way.
Grammar
Dictionary form
sauce
IPA
GB/sˈɔs/
US/sˈɔs/
Syllables & stress
sauce (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (sauce)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: sauce
- Plural: sauce, sauces
Word family
Expressions
bring the sauce
1/bɹˈɪŋ ðə sˈɔs/
idiom
slang
show strong style or energy
To perform with a lot of energy, style, and skill so that people are excited or impressed.
Examples
- The team really brought the sauce in the second half.
- If you’re going on stage, you’d better bring the sauce.
hit the sauce
1/hˈɪt ðə sˈɔs/
idiom
informal
start drinking alcohol heavily
To start drinking a lot of alcohol, especially in one evening or during a short period.
Examples
- After the breakup, he really hit the sauce for a few weeks.
- She only hits the sauce on special occasions, like weddings.
hot sauce
1/hˈɑt sˈɔs/
fixed phrase
spicy chili-based sauce
A very spicy liquid made from chili peppers that you put on food to make it hot.
Examples
- He covered his eggs with hot sauce.
- If you don’t like spicy food, skip the hot sauce.
lay off the sauce
1/lˈeɪ ˈɔf ðə sˈɔs/
idiom
informal
stop drinking alcohol for a while
To stop drinking alcohol, or drink much less, for some time.
Examples
- The doctor told him to lay off the sauce for a few months.
- After the embarrassing party, she decided to lay off the sauce.
on the sauce
1/ˈɔn ðə sˈɔs/
idiom
informal
regularly drinking too much alcohol
Drinking alcohol a lot, often too much and too often.
Examples
- People say he’s been on the sauce again lately.
- She went off the sauce for a year to focus on her health.
sauce on the side
1/sˈɔs ˈɔn ðə sˈaɪd/
fixed phrase
sauce served separately
Sauce that is given in a small cup or plate, not put directly on the main food.
Examples
- I’d like the salad with the dressing as sauce on the side, please.
- She ordered her burger with the sauce on the side.
soy sauce
1/sˈɔɪ sˈɔs/
fixed phrase
dark salty Asian seasoning
A dark brown, very salty liquid from soybeans, often used in Asian cooking.
Examples
- Add a little soy sauce to give the dish more flavor.
- She prefers low-salt soy sauce with her sushi.
tomato sauce
1/təmˈeɪtoʊ sˈɔs/
fixed phrase
sauce made mainly from tomatoes
A thick red sauce made mostly from tomatoes, often used on pasta or pizza.
Examples
- We cooked pasta with a simple tomato sauce.
- We had spaghetti with tomato sauce for dinner.
- She spilled tomato sauce on her white shirt.
- She prefers tomato sauce to cream sauce on her pasta.
- Add some garlic and herbs to the tomato sauce to make it richer.