WordGarden.iolemony
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /lˈɛməni/
US
- /lˈɛməni/
Meanings
Adjective
tasting or smelling like lemon
yellow like a lemon
Beyond the definition
"Lemony" usually describes a taste or smell that reminds you of lemons: fresh, sharp, and a little sour. You might use it for food and drinks, such as a lemony cake, a lemony sauce, or a lemony tea. It can also describe a scent, like a lemony cleaner or a lemony perfume.
Sometimes the word is used for color too. In that case, it means a light or bright yellow shade that brings lemons to mind.
The word "lemony" is mainly used for something that has the taste, smell, or character of lemons. Most often, it appears in descriptions of food and drink. A lemony pie, dressing, sauce, or biscuit has a clear citrus note that feels fresh, sharp, and slightly sour. The word can also be used for smells, especially when a scent seems clean, bright, or citrus-based, as in a lemony soap or a lemony kitchen spray.
It is also sometimes used for color. A lemony shade is a pale or bright yellow that looks like the fruit itself. In this sense, the word helps paint a quick picture, so a scarf, flower, or wall might be described as lemony if its yellow tone is especially fresh and light.
Overall, "lemony" is a descriptive everyday word. It usually points to flavor first, then smell, and sometimes color. It is not commonly used to describe personality, so the safest meaning is simply "like a lemon" in taste, scent, or appearance.
Examples
- 1
Baking
The cake was light and lemony, with a thin layer of icing on top.
- 2
Cooking
Add the herbs at the end so the soup stays fresh and lemony.
- 3
Cleaning scent
The cleaner left a sharp, lemony smell in the kitchen.
- 4
Color
She painted the shelves a soft, lemony yellow.
- Phraselemony yellow
pale, bright yellow like a lemon
See also
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- lemonyadjective