lucid
Americanadjective
-
easily understood; completely intelligible or comprehensible.
a lucid explanation.
- Synonyms:
- obvious, evident, understandable, plain
- Antonyms:
- obscure
-
characterized by clear perception or understanding; rational or sane.
a lucid moment in his madness.
- Synonyms:
- reasonable, sound
- Antonyms:
- irrational
-
shining or bright.
- Antonyms:
- dim
-
clear; pellucid; transparent.
- Synonyms:
- limpid
- Antonyms:
- obscure
adjective
-
readily understood; clear
-
shining or glowing
-
psychiatry of or relating to a period of normality between periods of insane or irresponsible behaviour
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of lucid
First recorded in 1575–85; from Latin lūcidus, equivalent to lūc- (stem of lūx light 1 ) + -idus -id 4
Explanation
Something that's lucid is clear and understandable. Lucid writing is important in journalism, so that readers easily get the point of the article they're reading. When what you write or say is lucid, it's straightforward and its meaning is crystal clear. You can also use the adjective lucid to describe your mind or thoughts when you're thinking in a rational, sensible way: "I was worried about my grandmother's confusion yesterday, but she seems really lucid today." Another meaning is "translucent," or "letting light shine through" — which makes sense since lucid comes from the Latin lucidus, "light or clear," with its root of lux, "light."
Vocabulary lists containing lucid
Let There Be Light: Lum and Luc
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"The Odyssey" by Homer, Books 1–7
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Grade 10, List 4
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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.
Two AV partnership launches, one with Amazon’s Zoox and the other with Lucid and Nuro, are set to launch this year, while another with Nvidia is slated for 2027.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026
According to a recent Lucid Talk opinion poll, Burrows is now the most popular unionist party leader.
From BBC • May 12, 2026
Wall Street currently expects Lucid to deliver about 22,000 cars in 2026, up from about 16,000 in 2025.
From Barron's • May 5, 2026
Lucid raised another $1.05 billion on Apr. 14.
From Barron's • May 5, 2026
Lucid enough to know that my stomach is giving me no relief, even in my sleep.
From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman
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.
