Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
southbound

southbound

3 2.1
Moving toward the south, often describing vehicles or routes
  • adjective
  • /ˈsaʊθˌbaʊnd/
translation icon : hacia el sur
  • OK, I'm going to go southbound towards Salt Lake City, which is right here.
  • southbound lane
  • southbound train
  • southbound freight

Examples

  • Suspect vehicle has exited the freeway and is now southbound Figueroa from the Carson Street off-ramp.

    Gone in 60 Seconds (1974)

  • Suspects are southbound on the 110 freeway, approaching Manchester in the ExpressLane.

    Ambulance (2022)

  • I think we got a situation developing on the southbound lane.

    The Chase (1994)

  • The bus is on Western, heading in a southbound direction.

    Speed (1994)

  • Bus 22 southbound to Fort Wayne will now begin loading.

    Sucker Punch (2011)

  • It is now southbound on 101.

    Desperate Measures (1998)

  • Now Main Street is divided into northbound and southbound traffic lanes, called Park Circle.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • Suspects are now southbound on the 110 freeway at a high rate of speed.

    Ambulance (2022)

  • The van's headlights sprayed diminishing cones of incandescence across the southbound lanes.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • The bus is on Western, heading in a southbound direction.

Synonyms

southward
vssouthbound
3 1.9

Facing or moving toward the south

is used specifically for vehicles, routes, or movement heading toward the south
southerly
vssouthbound
1 2.1

Toward the south

focuses on movement toward the south rather than indicating origin

Antonyms

northbound
8 2.5

Going toward the north on a road or train

Surface Forms

southbound positive

Morphology

southbound = south + bound (transparent) = south + bound

A clear compound of 'south' + 'bound' with the meaning 'heading toward the south', which learners can readily infer.

Etymology

Southbound is simply south + bound, where south is the direction and bound means 'going to' or 'heading for', as in homebound. So, southbound literally means 'going toward the south', which is why we use it for lanes, buses, or trains that travel south.