Standard Lemma guide

southward

adj · adv · name · noun · 7 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.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈsaʊθwəd/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈsʌðəd/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: S AW1 TH W ER0 D Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Situated or directed towards the south; moving or facing towards the south.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adv

Meaning 2

Towards the south; in a southerly direction.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

name

Meaning 3

A surname.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

The direction or area lying to the south of a place.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: no-plural

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective satellite

Meaning 5

moving toward the south

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a southbound train

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: southbound

Antonyms: none provided

6

adverb

Meaning 6

toward the south

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the ship turned southerly

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: southerly, southwards

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

the cardinal compass point that is at 180 degrees

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: south, due south, S

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: cardinal compass point

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 Proto-Indo-European *wert-der. Proto-Germanic *wardaz Old English -weard English -ward English southward From south + -ward.

Across languages

Translations

33 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 向南的 (xiàngnán de) — situated or directed towards the south
  • Chinese Mandarin: 朝南方向的 (cháo nán fāngxiàng de) — situated or directed towards the south
  • Finnish: etelänpuoleinen — situated or directed towards the south
  • Belarusian: на по́ўдзень (na pówdzjenʹ) — towards the south
  • Chinese Mandarin: 向南 (xiàngnán) — towards the south
  • Chinese Mandarin: 朝南方向 (cháo nán fāngxiàng) — towards the south
  • Danish: sydover — towards the south
  • Dutch: zuidwaarts — towards the south
  • Finnish: etelään — towards the south
  • Finnish: etelään päin — towards the south
  • German: südwärts — towards the south
  • Hungarian: délre — towards the south
  • Hungarian: dél felé — towards the south
  • Latvian: uz dievidiem — towards the south
  • Māori: whakatonga — towards the south
  • Māori: whakatetonga — towards the south
  • Mongolian: ᠡᠮᠦᠨᠡᠰᠢ (emünesi) — towards the south
  • Mongolian: өмнөш (ömnöš) — towards the south
  • Navajo: shádiʼááhjígo — towards the south
  • Navajo: shádiʼáahjigo — towards the south
  • Polish: na południe — towards the south
  • Russian: к ю́гу (k júgu) — towards the south
  • Russian: на юг (na jug) — towards the south
  • Swedish: söderut — towards the south
  • Swedish: sydvart — towards the south
  • Telugu: దక్షిణముగా (dakṣiṇamugā) — towards the south
  • Tuvan: мурнуу чүкче (murnuu çükçe) — towards the south
  • Ukrainian: на пі́вдень (na pívdenʹ) — towards the south
  • Chinese Mandarin: 南邊 /南边 (nánbiān) — direction or area lying to the south
  • Chinese Mandarin: 南方 (nánfāng) — direction or area lying to the south
  • Chinese Mandarin: 南側 /南侧 (náncè) — direction or area lying to the south
  • Finnish: eteläpuoli — direction or area lying to the south
  • Finnish: etelän puoli — direction or area lying to the south
Real reading context

southward in complete knowledge articles