Citrusy describes something that tastes, smells, or feels like citrus fruits: oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruits. When you peel an orange and that bright, tangy scent fills the air, that's a citrusy smell. When lemonade makes your mouth pucker with its sharp, refreshing flavor, that's citrusy.

The word captures that zingy, fresh quality that citrus fruits share. A citrusy perfume might smell clean and energizing. A citrusy salad dressing adds brightness to greens. Some cleaning products smell citrusy because that scent can make things feel clean and fresh.

Citrusy doesn't mean the same thing as sour, though citrus fruits often are sour. It's more specific: it's that particular combination of tartness, sweetness, and bright flavor that citrus fruits have. When a chef describes a dish as having citrusy notes, they mean you can detect that lively, fresh taste even if there's no actual lemon or lime in it.