vivid
Americanadjective
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strikingly bright or intense, as color, light, etc..
a vivid green.
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full of life; lively; animated.
a vivid personality.
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presenting the appearance, freshness, spirit, etc., of life; realistic.
a vivid account.
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strong, distinct, or clearly perceptible.
a vivid recollection.
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forming distinct and striking mental images.
a vivid imagination.
adjective
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(of a colour) very bright; having a very high saturation or purity; produced by a pure or almost pure colouring agent
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brilliantly coloured
vivid plumage
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conveying to the mind striking realism, freshness, or trueness to life; graphic
a vivid account
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(of a recollection, memory, etc) remaining distinct in the mind
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(of the imagination, etc) prolific in the formation of lifelike images
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making a powerful impact on the emotions or senses
a vivid feeling of shame
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uttered, operating, or acting with vigour
vivid expostulations
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full of life or vitality
a vivid personality
Related Words
See picturesque.
Other Word Forms
- overvivid adjective
- overvividness noun
- unvivid adjective
- unvividness noun
- vividity noun
- vividly adverb
- vividness noun
Etymology
Origin of vivid
First recorded in 1630–40; from Latin vīvidus “lively,” equivalent to vīv(ere) “to live” + -idus adjective suffix; vital, -id 4
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The crew reported in vivid detail features of the lunar surface and later witnessed a solar eclipse, when the Moon passed in front of the Sun.
From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026
John Galsworthy’s tales of an affluent family in Victorian and Edwardian England offer a vivid portrait of a vanished era.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026
The result is immediate, vivid, and complete in its own way, asking for minutes instead of hours—and rewarding you anyway.
From Salon • Apr. 3, 2026
The results showed that people reported the deepest sleep not only when they had no conscious experience, but also after vivid, immersive dreams.
From Science Daily • Mar. 26, 2026
During all these preparations he moved about leisurely with two vivid spots of color on his cheekbones.
From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
