south
gb/sˈaʊθ/ us/sˈaʊθ/
A1
English
~ 1200
dél, déli, dél felé, délre, déli rész, félremegy, kudarcba fullad, rosszra fordul
NOUN
A1
1
dél
A1
Usage pattern:
to the south of [place]
The city lies about 100 kilometers south of the capital.
A város körülbelül 100 kilométerre délre fekszik a fővárostól.
Birds migrate south for the winter.
A madarak télire délre vonulnak.
We drove south along the coast until sunset.
The compass needle points north, so south is behind you.
Her hometown is in the south of the country.
Learner examples
The river flows to the south.
A folyó dél felé folyik.
We went south to find warmer weather.
Délre mentünk, hogy melegebb időt találjunk.
South is the opposite of north.
They live in the south of Spain.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'south' (noun) with 'southern' (adjective). For example, 'I went to southern' is incorrect; it should be 'I went south'.
Meaning
Direction toward the South Pole
Collocations
due south
|south coast
|south wind
|head south
|south side
Synonyms
southern direction (More formal and less commonly used in everyday speech.)
Antonyms
north (The opposite cardinal direction on the Earth's surface.)
Themes
geography
|navigation
|travel
|space
|core_vocabulary
Definition
The direction that is opposite to north.
The direction on the Earth's surface that is opposite to north, toward the South Pole.
A2
2
déli
A1
Usage pattern:
[south] [noun]
The south entrance to the park is closed.
A park déli bejárata zárva van.
We stayed in a hotel on the south shore of the island.
A sziget déli partján lévő szállodában szálltunk meg.
The south wall gets more sunlight.
She lives on the south side of town.
Learner examples
The south door is open.
A déli ajtó nyitva van.
We walked along the south road.
Végigsétáltunk a déli úton.
They live on the south street.
I like the view from the south window.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes add 'the' before 'south' when used as an adjective, which is incorrect: 'the south door' is correct, but not 'the the south door'.
Meaning
Located in or from the south
Collocations
south coast
|south entrance
|south wing
|south-facing
Synonyms
southern ('Southern' is more common for formal descriptions, while 'south' is used in specific names or directions.)
Antonyms
north (Refers to a location in the opposite part of a region or world.)
Themes
geography
|culture
|space
|travel
|core_vocabulary
Definition
From or in the southern part of a place.
Situated in, coming from, or connected with the southern part of a region or the world.
A1
3
Usage pattern:
go south [distance/time]
We drove south for three hours before stopping.
Három órán át dél felé autóztunk, mielőtt megálltunk.
The birds are flying south for the winter.
A madarak télire délre repülnek.
The road bends slightly south after the bridge.
Learner examples
We go south to visit family.
Délre megyünk, hogy meglátogassuk a családunkat.
Birds fly south in winter.
A madarak télen délre repülnek.
The car is moving south.
Meaning
Toward the south direction
Collocations
drive south
|head south
|fly south
Synonyms
southward (More formal and less common than 'south' as an adverb.)
Antonyms
north (Moving or facing toward the opposite direction.)
Themes
geography
|travel
|space
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Moving in or facing toward the south direction.
In or toward the direction of the Earth's South Pole.
NOUN
A2
4
Usage pattern:
the south of [place]
He grew up in the South of England.
Dél-Angliában nőtt fel.
The American South has a distinct culture.
Az amerikai Délnek sajátos kultúrája van.
Tourists love visiting the sunny south of France.
Learner examples
I live in the south of Italy.
Olaszország déli részén élek.
The south is warm in summer.
Délen nyáron meleg van.
We travel to the south every year.
Meaning
Southern part of a place
Collocations
the deep South
|south of France
|American South
Synonyms
southern region (More formal and descriptive than simply 'the South'.)
Antonyms
north (Refers to the opposite part of a region.)
Themes
geography
|space
|travel
|core_vocabulary
Definition
The southern part of a place.
The southern area or region of a country, city, or other place.
VERB
B2
INFORMAL
5
Usage pattern:
[something] goes south
Our vacation plans went south when it started raining every day.
A nyaralási terveink félrementek, amikor nap mint nap esett az eső.
The deal started well but then went south quickly.
Az üzlet jól indult, de aztán gyorsan félrement.
His health has gone south since last year.
Learner examples
My day went south after I lost my phone.
A napom félrement, miután elvesztettem a telefonomat.
The game went south in the second half.
A meccs a második félidőben félrement.
Her mood went south when she heard the news.
Common mistake:
Learners may misunderstand 'go south' as a literal movement rather than a figurative worsening of something.
Meaning
Decline or fail badly (informal)
Collocations
goes south quickly
|plans went south
Synonyms
deteriorate ('Deteriorate' is more formal and less colloquial than 'go south'.)
Antonyms
improve (Means to get better rather than worse.)
Themes
business
|daily life
|work
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To become much worse or fail suddenly.
To worsen rapidly or fail completely, especially in performance, quality, or success.
Grammar
Dictionary form
south
IPA
GB/sˈaʊθ/
US/sˈaʊθ/
Syllables & stress
south (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (south)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: south
- Plural: south
Word family
Expressions
due south
1/dˈu sˈaʊθ/
fixed phrase
Exactly toward the south direction
Exactly in the direction of the South Pole.
Examples
- The ship sailed due south for two days.
- From here, head due south until you reach the river.
go south
2/ɡˈoʊ sˈaʊθ/
idiom
informal
To get worse or fail badly
To become much worse or fail suddenly.
Examples
- Their friendship went south after that big argument.
- The project was going well but then went south.
the Deep South
3/ðə dˈip sˈaʊθ/
fixed phrase
Southeastern U.S. cultural region
A cultural and geographic area in the southeastern United States known for its history and traditions.
Examples
- She grew up in the Deep South and knows its traditions well.
- The Deep South has a unique style of cooking.