Standard Lemma guide

southbound

adj · adv · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈsaʊθbaʊnd/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: S AW1 TH B AW2 N D Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Which is (or will be) travelling south.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • We took the southbound train to Barcelona.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adv

Meaning 2

Toward the south.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • The truck raced southbound, then careened into the ditch.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adjective satellite

Meaning 3

moving toward the south

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a southbound train

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: southward

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-West Germanic *sunþ Proto-Indo-European *sóh2wl̥ Proto-Indo-European *sh2w-én-s Proto-Indo-European *-teros Proto-Indo-European *sh2ún-teros Proto-Germanic *sunþraz ▲ Proto-Germanic *sunþraz Proto-Germanic *sunþrą Proto-West Germanic *sunþr Old English sūþ Middle English south English south English -bound English southbound From south + -bound.

Across languages

Translations

13 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: пътуващ на юг (pǎtuvašt na jug) — travelling south
  • French: en direction du sud — travelling south
  • German: nach Süden — travelling south
  • German: Richtung Süden — travelling south
  • Norwegian Bokmål: sørgående — travelling south
  • Swedish: södergående — travelling south
  • Bulgarian: на юг (na jug) — toward the south
  • Danish: sydgående — toward the south
  • Danish: sydlige — toward the south
  • German: nach Süden — toward the south
  • German: Richtung Süden — toward the south
  • Swedish: söderut — toward the south
  • Swedish: södergående — toward the south
Real reading context

southbound in complete knowledge articles