sauce
gb/sˈɔs/ us/sˈɔs/
A2
Inglese
~ 5800
Accezioni
0 accezioni
Sostantivo
A2
entity
1
liquid flavoring served with food
A thick liquid that you put on or with food to give it more taste or make it less dry.
Schema d'uso:
to serve [food] with [sauce]
Errore comune:
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').
Sinonimi
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.)
Contrari
dry (Describes food served without any sauce or liquid on it.)
Collocazioni
tomato sauce
|soy sauce
|hot sauce
|rich sauce
|pour sauce over [food]
|serve with sauce
Temi
food
|daily life
|cooking
|food_drink
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Esempi
- We had grilled chicken with a creamy mushroom sauce.
- Stir the pasta into the tomato sauce and cook for two more minutes.
- 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.
Esempi per chi studia
- I like fries with tomato sauce.
- He poured soy sauce on his rice.
- 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.
Sostantivo
informal
B2
entity
2
alcohol, especially in excess
Alcohol, especially when someone drinks too much or too often.
Schema d'uso:
to be on the sauce
Errore comune:
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').
Sinonimi
booze (Informal word for alcohol, with a similar casual or negative tone.)
|
alcohol (More neutral and general; not as colorful as 'the sauce'.)
Contrari
sobriety (Describes the state of not drinking alcohol or not being drunk.)
Collocazioni
hit the sauce
|on the sauce
|lay off the sauce
|a problem with the sauce
Temi
daily life
|health
|slang
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Esempi
- He really hit the sauce after he lost his job.
- People say he's been back on the sauce lately.
- 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.
Esempi per chi studia
- He was on the sauce again last night.
- After the crash, she decided to stay away from the sauce.
- If you keep hitting the sauce, your health will get worse.
- His family worries that he likes the sauce too much.
Sostantivo
slang
B2
property
3
impressive style or charisma
A cool and special style or energy that makes a person or thing look or feel very impressive.
Schema d'uso:
to have the sauce
Errore comune:
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.
Sinonimi
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'.)
Contrari
blandness (Describes a lack of interesting or impressive qualities.)
Collocazioni
have the sauce
|bring the sauce
|full of sauce
|dripping with sauce
Temi
slang
|pop culture
|emotions
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Esempi
- That performer really brought the sauce to the stage tonight.
- Her outfits always have so much sauce; you can spot her across the room.
- The new design has more sauce than last year’s boring model.
Esempi per chi studia
- The singer has real sauce on stage.
- His new shoes add some sauce to his look.
- This video has more sauce than the old one.
- She brings the sauce to every game she plays.
Verbo
B2
action
4
to cover food with sauce
To add sauce to food before you serve it or eat it.
Schema d'uso:
to sauce [food] with [sauce]
Errore comune:
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.
Sinonimi
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.)
Contrari
serve plain (To give food with nothing added, especially no sauce.)
Collocazioni
sauce the pasta
|sauce the fish lightly
|sauce the dish just before serving
Temi
food
|cooking
|daily life
|food_drink
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Esempi
- Lightly sauce the vegetables just before bringing them to the table.
- The chef sauced the steak with a rich red wine reduction.
- You can sauce the pasta in the pan or at the table.
Esempi per chi studia
- She sauced the chicken with a lemon sauce.
- Sauce the pasta before you put it on the plates.
- He forgot to sauce the vegetables, so they tasted dry.
- The chef sauced each dish carefully.
Sostantivo
informal
C1
entity
5
impudent or cheeky talk
Rude or cheeky words or behavior, especially when you answer someone like a parent or teacher without respect.
Schema d'uso:
to give [someone] (some) sauce
Errore comune:
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.
Sinonimi
cheek (Mainly British; very close in meaning, stressing disrespectful boldness.)
|
impudence (More formal; stresses lack of respect and shame.)
Contrari
respect (Polite behavior and speech that show you value someone.)
Collocazioni
give me any sauce
|answer back with sauce
|a bit of sauce
|fresh sauce
Temi
social behavior
|relationships
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Esempi
- Don’t give me any sauce, young man, or you can go to your room.
- The teacher was tired of all the sauce she got from the back row.
- He was known for his talent and his constant sauce in interviews.
Esempi per chi studia
- Don't give your parents any sauce.
- The boy answered with sauce and made the teacher angry.
- She is smart, but she has a lot of sauce.
- He got into trouble at school for his sauce.
Sostantivo
slang
C1
entity
6
online source or link
The place where something on the internet first came from, like the original website, link, or file.
Schema d'uso:
to ask for sauce
Errore comune:
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.
Sinonimi
source (Standard word; 'sauce' is playful internet slang based on 'source'.)
Collocazioni
what's the sauce?
|need sauce
|sauce pls
|post the sauce
Temi
internet
|media
|slang
|technology
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Esempi
- Nice artwork, but what's the sauce?
- People kept replying 'sauce?' under the meme until someone posted the original video.
- If you share a screenshot, please include the sauce in the comments.
Esempi per chi studia
- They asked, "Sauce?" under the funny picture.
- He posted the sauce so everyone could watch the full video.
- When you share a meme, you should give the sauce.
- I can't find the sauce for this image.
Verbo
informal
C1
action
7
to talk back rudely
To talk to someone, like a parent or teacher, in a rude or cheeky way.
Schema d'uso:
to sauce [someone]
Errore comune:
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.
Sinonimi
talk back (to) (Common phrasal verb for replying rudely to someone in authority; very close in meaning.)
Contrari
show respect (To speak politely and accept what someone in authority says.)
Collocazioni
sauce the teacher
|sauce his parents
|sauce the boss back
Temi
social behavior
|relationships
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Esempi
- If you sauce the coach again, you’ll be off the team.
- He got in trouble for saucing the teacher during class.
- She isn’t afraid to sauce her boss when she thinks he’s wrong.
Esempi per chi studia
- Don't sauce your parents when they tell you something.
- He sauced the teacher and was sent out of the room.
- She often sauces her boss in meetings.
- You will get into trouble if you sauce adults.
Grammatica
Forma base
sauce
IPA
GB/sˈɔs/
US/sˈɔs/
Sillabe e accento
sauce (1 sillaba)
Stress on 1st syllable (sauce)
Forme flesse
Noun
- Base: sauce
- Plural: sauce, sauces
Famiglia di parole
Espressioni
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.
Esempi
- 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.
Esempi
- 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.
Esempi
- 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.
Esempi
- 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.
Esempi
- 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.
Esempi
- 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.
Esempi
- 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.
Esempi
- 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.