lemonade

lemonade — noun

1. A drink made by mixing fresh lemon juice with water and sugar, served cold and w

1.nounA2
Definition

A drink made by mixing fresh lemon juice with water and sugar, served cold and without bubbles.

Example

Talia made a pitcher of fresh lemonade for the summer picnic.

uncountable: a pitcher of lemonade as a mass noun

The café serves homemade lemonade with mint and ice.

collocation: homemade lemonade

Common collocations
  • fresh lemonade
  • homemade lemonade
  • a pitcher of lemonade
  • a glass of lemonade
  • lemonade stand
Synonyms
  • lemon squash

    a concentrated syrup that you dilute with water, more common in the UK and Australia than the US

  • citron pressé

    a French version where fresh lemon juice is served with separate sugar syrup and water for you to mix at the table

Usage Note

In the US, this is the most common meaning of 'lemonade'. In the UK, you may need to say 'still lemonade' or 'traditional lemonade' to make clear that you mean the non-fizzy type.

Common Mistakes

I ordered a lemonade soda.
I ordered a lemonade.
Lemonade already refers to a drink; adding 'soda' is unnecessary for the still version.

2. A cold, carbonated beverage that is sweet and has a strong lemon flavour, sold a

2.nounB1
Definition

A cold, carbonated beverage that is sweet and has a strong lemon flavour, sold as a bottled or canned soda alternative.

Example

Jiwoo ordered a can of lemonade with her lunch at the diner.

uncountable: a can of lemonade

The lemonade went flat after sitting open in the fridge for two days.

collocation: go flat

Common collocations
  • fizzy lemonade
  • a can of lemonade
  • a bottle of lemonade
  • go flat
  • sparkling lemonade
Synonyms
  • lemon soda

    the common American term for a carbonated, lemon-flavoured sweet drink

  • sparkling lemonade

    a clearer way to describe the fizzy version, especially in contexts where still lemonade is the default

  • lemon fizz

    a more informal or marketing-oriented term

Usage Note

This is the default meaning of 'lemonade' in the UK and Commonwealth countries. In the US, fizzy lemon drinks are usually called 'lemon soda', 'sparkling lemonade', or sold under brand names such as Sprite or 7Up.

Common Mistakes

I bought a still lemonade in London.
I bought a traditional lemonade in London.
In the UK, 'still lemonade' is understood but 'traditional lemonade' is clearer for the non-fizzy version.
Idioms

when life gives you lemons, make lemonade

idiom

An encouraging phrase meaning you should try to turn a bad situation into something good.

When Wren lost her job, she remembered the saying and started her own catering business.

Word family

  • lemon
    nounA1
  • lemon
    adjectiveB1
  • lemon tree
    nounA2
  • lemonade stand
    nounB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Still lemonade — fresh lemon juice, water, and sugar — is the most basic lemon drink. Lemon squash is a concentrated syrup that you dilute with water or soda; it is common in the UK, Australia, and parts of Africa, and it is much sweeter and more artificial-tasting than real lemonade. Citron pressé is the French version: a waiter brings you a glass with fresh lemon juice, a small jug of water, and a bowl of sugar packets, and you mix them yourself at the table — fresher and less sweet than standard lemonade. Limeade follows the same recipe as lemonade but uses limes instead of lemons, giving a more tart and slightly bitter finish. For example: 'A tall glass of lemonade on a summer afternoon is refreshing, but a bottle of lemon squash is more convenient to keep at home.'

lemon squashcitron pressélimeade

Common collocations

Nouns

  • glass of ~
  • bottle of ~
  • can of ~
  • pitcher of ~
  • cup of ~
  • stand of ~

Phrases

  • make lemonade
  • sell lemonade
  • drink lemonade

Prepositions

  • lemonade with mint
  • lemonade from concentrate

Etymology

ItalianFrenchEnglish

The word entered English in the 1600s from French 'limonade', which came from Italian 'limonata', built on 'limone' (lemon) plus the suffix '-ata' (indicating a drink made from that fruit). Originally it described only the still, home-made drink. The fizzy, mass-produced version only became widespread in the 1800s after commercial carbonation techniques were developed.