south
gb/sˈaʊθ/ us/sˈaʊθ/
A1
English
~ 1200
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A1
relation
1
Direction toward the South Pole
The direction that is opposite to north.
Usage pattern:
to the south of [place]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'south' (noun) with 'southern' (adjective). For example, 'I went to southern' is incorrect; it should be 'I went south'.
Synonyms
southern direction (More formal and less commonly used in everyday speech.)
Antonyms
north (The opposite cardinal direction on the Earth's surface.)
Collocations
due south
|south coast
|south wind
|head south
|south side
Themes
geography
|navigation
|travel
|space
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The city lies about 100 kilometers south of the capital.
- Birds migrate south for the winter.
- 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.
- We went south to find warmer weather.
- South is the opposite of north.
- They live in the south of Spain.
adjective
A2
property
2
Located in or from the south
From or in the southern part of a place.
Usage pattern:
[south] [noun]
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'.
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.)
Collocations
south coast
|south entrance
|south wing
|south-facing
Themes
geography
|culture
|space
|travel
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The south entrance to the park is closed.
- We stayed in a hotel on the south shore of the island.
- The south wall gets more sunlight.
- She lives on the south side of town.
Learner examples
- The south door is open.
- We walked along the south road.
- They live on the south street.
- I like the view from the south window.
adverb
A1
relation
3
Toward the south direction
Moving in or facing toward the south direction.
Usage pattern:
go south [distance/time]
Synonyms
southward (More formal and less common than 'south' as an adverb.)
Antonyms
north (Moving or facing toward the opposite direction.)
Collocations
drive south
|head south
|fly south
Themes
geography
|travel
|space
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- We drove south for three hours before stopping.
- The birds are flying south for the winter.
- The road bends slightly south after the bridge.
Learner examples
- We go south to visit family.
- Birds fly south in winter.
- The car is moving south.
Noun
A2
entity
4
Southern part of a place
The southern part of a place.
Usage pattern:
the south of [place]
Synonyms
southern region (More formal and descriptive than simply 'the South'.)
Antonyms
north (Refers to the opposite part of a region.)
Collocations
the deep South
|south of France
|American South
Themes
geography
|space
|travel
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He grew up in the South of England.
- The American South has a distinct culture.
- Tourists love visiting the sunny south of France.
Learner examples
- I live in the south of Italy.
- The south is warm in summer.
- We travel to the south every year.
Verb
informal
B2
action
5
Decline or fail badly (informal)
To become much worse or fail suddenly.
Usage pattern:
[something] goes south
Common mistake:
Learners may misunderstand 'go south' as a literal movement rather than a figurative worsening of something.
Synonyms
deteriorate ('Deteriorate' is more formal and less colloquial than 'go south'.)
Antonyms
improve (Means to get better rather than worse.)
Collocations
goes south quickly
|plans went south
Themes
business
|daily life
|work
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Our vacation plans went south when it started raining every day.
- The deal started well but then went south quickly.
- His health has gone south since last year.
Learner examples
- My day went south after I lost my phone.
- The game went south in the second half.
- Her mood went south when she heard the news.
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.