lemon
A small yellow fruit that tastes very sour.
A small oval citrus fruit with thick yellow skin and very sour juice.
The sour juice or taste from a lemon that you add to food or drinks.
Lemon juice or flavor used as an ingredient in food or drink.
Light yellow in color, like a lemon.
Having a light yellow color similar to that of a lemon.
A car or other thing you buy that is very bad and breaks or does not work well.
A product, especially a car or other expensive item, that is badly made, often breaks down, or never works properly.
A person who seems stupid or not helpful, or who cannot do something well.
A person who is regarded as stupid, useless, or unable to do something properly, especially in a particular situation.
The tree that lemons grow on.
A small evergreen citrus tree that produces lemon fruits.
- Base: lemon
- Plural: lemon, lemons
a bit of a lemon
1Somewhat useless or disappointing
Used to say that something or someone is not very good or useful.
- The new software is a bit of a lemon and crashes all the time.
- He turned out to be a bit of a lemon in the role of project manager.
- This printer is a bit of a lemon; it jams every few pages.
buy a lemon
1Purchase a defective product
To buy something, usually a car, that turns out to be very bad or broken.
- We really bought a lemon with this car; it has been in the shop three times already.
- She worries that she might buy a lemon if she chooses the cheapest laptop.
- If you buy a lemon, check if the warranty or lemon law can protect you.
feel like a lemon
1Feel awkward or useless
To feel stupid, useless, or that you do not belong in a situation.
- I didn’t know anyone at the party and just stood there feeling like a lemon.
- Without any instructions, the new employee felt like a lemon in his first week.
- She felt like a lemon while everyone else was busy working.
lemon law
1Law protecting buyers of lemons
A law that helps people when they buy a very bad car or other big product that does not work properly.
- In many U.S. states, the lemon law allows you to return a defective new car.
- They contacted a lawyer to see if the lemon law applied to their situation.
- Thanks to the lemon law, she received a full refund for the faulty vehicle.
lemon yellow
1Bright pale lemon color
A bright, light yellow color like a lemon.
- She painted her bedroom lemon yellow to make it feel sunnier.
- The artist mixed white and yellow to get a soft lemon yellow.
- He bought a lemon yellow raincoat for the trip.
look like a lemon
1Appear foolish or out of place
To look stupid, awkward, or not useful in a situation.
- They forgot to tell me the plan, so I just stood there looking like a lemon.
- He didn’t want to look like a lemon in front of his new colleagues.
- Without the right equipment, the photographer said he would look like a lemon on the job.
when life gives you lemons, make lemonade
1Turn problems into opportunities
If something bad happens, try to use it to make something good.
- I know losing your job is hard, but remember: when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.
- She really lives by the idea of when life gives you lemons, make lemonade, and turned her mistake into a new business.
- He quoted the saying "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade" to encourage his team after the setback.
when life gives you lemons, make lemonade
1turn problems into opportunities
try to find something good in a bad situation
- I didn’t get the job, but I met someone who offered me freelance work—when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.
- She treated the setback as a chance to learn: when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.
- He laughed and said, “Well, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.”