What does soup mean?
Soup is a generally liquid food made by simmering vegetables, meat, fish, grains, or other ingredients in water or stock. In everyday culinary use, it can refer to a wide range of dishes, from clear broths and chicken soup to thick purées and chowders. The word also has several informal figurative meanings. “In the soup” describes being in trouble or in a complicated situation; a “soup” can be a mixture of many people or things; and a quantity of something can jokingly be described as “soup” when it is very large. As a verb, “soup” means to make something more appealing or powerful, as in “soup up the engine.” These extensions give the word a lively range, while its core meaning remains the familiar bowl of liquid food that many English-speaking cultures associate with comfort, warmth, and simple nourishment.
A liquid food made by simmering vegetables, meat, fish, grains, or other ingredients in stock or water.
"We had tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch."
In culinary contexts, the word is general and can describe both clear broths and thicker blended or puréed soups.
An informal situation involving difficulty, confusion, or trouble.
"The missing documents put the whole team in the soup."
This sense is informal and is commonly used in the expression “in the soup.”
An informal, undifferentiated mixture of people, things, or qualities.
"The exhibition was a soup of paintings, sculptures, and strange musical instruments."
This figurative use is informal and often suggests a mixture lacking clear organization or distinction.
An informal large or abundant quantity of something.
"The server printed a whole soup of receipts."
This use is informal and often humorous or hyperbolic.
Used for individual kinds or servings of soup.
"The menu offers several seasonal soups."
When things go wrong, English puts you “in the soup”—a phrase that turns an ordinary meal into a picture of being thoroughly surrounded by trouble.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does soup come from?
The word comes from Old English sup, meaning liquid food or broth, which continues a Germanic word inherited from Proto-Germanic. It has close relatives in German Suppe and Dutch soep. The culinary sense developed from the original idea of liquid nourishment, while the informal sense for a difficult or muddled situation comes from the idea of everything being mixed together.
Related word forms
How soup is actually used
The word is neutral in ordinary culinary contexts. “In the soup” and other figurative uses are informal and often imply that someone is dealing with a muddled or difficult situation. The verb is chiefly informal and is most often used in the phrase “soup up.”
Easily confused with soup
A stew is generally a thicker dish in which ingredients are cooked slowly with little or no liquid, whereas soup is usually more liquid and is served as a broth.