soup
HighNeutral
Definition
Meaning
A liquid dish typically made by cooking meat, fish, or vegetables in water or stock.
Can refer to a difficult or confusing situation (e.g., 'in the soup') or a mixture of various elements (e.g., 'a soup of ideas').
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a mass noun but can be countable when referring to types or servings (e.g., 'two soups'). Often associated with comfort and simplicity in food.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal; both varieties use 'soup' similarly with no significant spelling or meaning variations. Some regional terms like 'broth' may overlap.
Connotations
In both cultures, soup is commonly seen as comforting, especially during illness or cold weather.
Frequency
Equally frequent in everyday speech in both British and American English.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
have soupmake soupserve soup with breada bowl of soupVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “in the soup”
- “soup to nuts”
- “from soup to nuts”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
In the food industry, used in contexts like menu planning or product sales; e.g., 'Our soup line needs a marketing boost.'
Academic
Rare except in culinary studies or metaphorical use in literature; e.g., 'The narrative was a soup of conflicting themes.'
Everyday
Very common in daily conversation; e.g., 'Let's have soup for lunch today.'
Technical
In cooking or food science, refers to specific preparations; e.g., 'The soup's viscosity must be controlled during processing.'
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- He decided to soup up his vintage car for the rally.
American English
- They souped up the computer to handle graphic design software.
adverb
British English
- He described the plot soupily, leaving everyone confused.
American English
- The colors blended soupily in the abstract painting.
adjective
British English
- The weather turned soupy with dense fog rolling in.
American English
- The mixture became soupy after adding too much liquid.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I eat soup every day.
- This soup is very tasty.
- She prepared a hearty vegetable soup for the family.
- We ordered soup as a starter.
- After hiking in the rain, a warm bowl of soup was incredibly soothing.
- The chef's signature soup features exotic spices.
- The financial mismanagement left the company in the soup, facing lawsuits.
- His speech was a soup of half-truths and exaggerations.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'soup' rhyming with 'loop' – you stir soup in a loop with a spoon.
Conceptual Metaphor
CONFUSION IS SOUP (a messy situation), or LIFE IS A SOUP (a mixture of experiences).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Russian 'суп' directly translates to 'soup', but learners might overuse it for all liquid dishes, ignoring terms like 'broth' or 'stew'.
- No major pronunciation issues, but be careful not to confuse with 'soap' in English.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'soup' as a countable noun incorrectly, e.g., 'I ate three soups' instead of 'I ate three bowls of soup'.
- Mispronouncing as 'soap' due to similar spelling.
Practice
Quiz
What does the idiom 'soup to nuts' typically express?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Primarily uncountable, but it can be countable when referring to different types or servings, e.g., 'The restaurant offers five soups.'
Broth is a thin, clear soup often used as a base, while soup can include solid ingredients and be thicker in consistency.
Yes, it can describe a confusing mixture or difficult situation, as in 'a soup of regulations' or 'in the soup.'
Yes, strong collocations include 'chicken soup' and 'tomato soup'; medium ones include 'soup kitchen' and 'soup spoon.'
Collections
Part of a collection
Food and Drink
A1 · 49 words · Common words for food, drink and meals.
Food and Cooking
A2 · 50 words · Cooking methods, kitchen tools and recipes.