soda

soda — noun

1. a cold, sweetened drink that has bubbles because it contains carbonated water, s

1.nounB1
Definition

a cold, sweetened drink that has bubbles because it contains carbonated water, sold in cans or bottles and not containing alcohol

Example

Elise grabbed two cans of soda from the fridge before heading to the park.

collocation: grab a can of soda

The shop near the station sells over twenty different brands of soda.

Common collocations
  • diet soda
  • drink soda
  • a can of soda
  • a bottle of soda
  • soda machine
  • soda fountain
  • soda consumption
Synonyms
  • pop

    regional term used in the US Midwest and Canada, also parts of the UK

  • fizzy drink

    standard term in British English, informal

  • soft drink

    more formal; includes non-carbonated sugary drinks as well

  • carbonated beverage

    formal and technical, rarely used in conversation

Antonyms
  • still drink

    any non-carbonated beverage such as juice or plain water

  • flat

    describes soda that has lost its bubbles

Usage Note

Commonly countable when referring to a single serving ('a soda') and uncountable when referring to the substance in general ('too much soda'). In British English the equivalent term is 'fizzy drink' rather than 'soda'.

Common Mistakes

I would like a soda water please' (when you want a sweet fizzy drink).
I would like a soda please.
In American English 'soda' alone means a sweet fizzy drink; 'soda water' means plain carbonated water.
I bought some sodas water from the store.
I bought some soda from the store.
'Soda' as an uncountable noun has no plural when referring to the drink in general; 'sodas' is used only for individual servings.

2. plain water to which carbon dioxide gas has been added to create bubbles, drunk

2.nounB2
Definition

plain water to which carbon dioxide gas has been added to create bubbles, drunk by itself or used to mix with spirits, wine, or juice

Example

Theo ordered a whisky with soda water at the hotel bar after dinner.

collocation: [alcohol] with soda water

Lakshmi mixed soda water with orange juice for a simple non-alcoholic drink.

collocation: mix soda water with [juice]

Common collocations
  • soda water
  • whisky and soda
  • gin and soda
  • soda siphon
  • with soda
Synonyms
  • soda water

    the full form of the term

  • club soda

    common brand-generic term for carbonated water with added minerals

  • sparkling water

    broader category that includes naturally carbonated mineral water

Antonyms

Usage Note

Often appears in drink names like 'whisky and soda' or 'gin and soda'. The full term 'soda water' helps distinguish this sense from sense 1 in American English. Always uncountable for the liquid itself, though 'a soda water' can refer to a glass or serving.

Common Mistakes

Can I have a soda?' (when meaning plain fizzy water in the US).
Can I have a soda water?' or 'Some soda water, please.
Without 'water', 'soda' usually means a sweet fizzy drink in American English.

Word family

  • soda water
    noun phraseB2
  • soda pop
    noun phraseB1
  • soda fountain
    noun phraseC1
  • club soda
    noun phraseB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Soda, pop, fizzy drink, soft drink, and carbonated beverage all describe sweet bubbly drinks, but they differ sharply by region and formality. Soda is the default term in American English, common on the US East and West Coasts — you would say 'I'll have a soda' at a restaurant. Pop dominates the US Midwest and Canada, and appears in parts of the UK and New Zealand. Fizzy drink is the standard everyday term in British English and Australia. Soft drink is a more formal industry label that also covers non-carbonated sweet drinks like fruit punch. Carbonated beverage is purely technical, found on ingredient labels and in regulations. If you order 'a soda' in a British pub, you might receive soda water instead of a sweet drink, so regional awareness matters.

soda ↗pop ↗fizzy drinksoft drinkcarbonated beverage

Common collocations

Phrases

  • a glass of soda
  • a can of soda
  • a bottle of soda

Prepositions

  • of soda
  • with soda

Etymology

ArabicMedieval LatinItalianEnglish

The word 'soda' came into English from Italian 'soda', which referred to sodium carbonate — a salt used in glassmaking and cooking. The Italian word came via Medieval Latin from Arabic 'suwwād' (a type of plant whose ashes were used to make soda ash). In the late 1700s, manufacturers began injecting carbon dioxide into water using sodium bicarbonate, creating 'soda water'. By the mid-1800s in America, sweet flavours and syrups were added to soda water, giving rise to the sweet drink now called 'soda' or 'soda pop'.