vibrant
Americanadjective
-
moving to and fro rapidly; vibrating.
-
vibrating so as to produce sound, as a string.
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(of sounds) characterized by perceptible vibration; resonant; resounding.
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pulsating with vigor and energy.
the vibrant life of a large city.
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a vibrant personality.
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stimulating; exciting; vivid: a vibrant performance.
vibrant colors;
a vibrant performance.
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Phonetics. made with tonal vibration of the vocal cords; voiced.
noun
adjective
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characterized by or exhibiting vibration; pulsating or trembling
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giving an impression of vigour and activity
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caused by vibration; resonant
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(of colour) strong and vivid
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phonetics trilled or rolled
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of vibrant
First recorded in 1540–50; from Latin vibrant-, stem of vibrāns, present participle of vibrāre “to shake, move to and fro”; see -ant
Explanation
Vibrant colors are bright. Vibrant sounds are loud and resonant. Vibrant people are ones you remember — they're bright and full of personality. Vibrant was originally intended to describe sounds. Sound waves vibrate, and when they vibrate more rapidly, they sound brighter. Singers and string instrument players increase this effect by shaking the notes they play through a technique called vibrato that increases the vibrancy of their sound.
Vocabulary lists containing vibrant
Words to Capture Your Joy
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The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
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The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 7
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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.
The Journal’s Bertrand Benoit reports from Berlin that in otherwise vibrant business districts, on Sundays “iron curtains roll shut, turning city centers into eerie, echoey deserts.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
You could head to Darnestown where Windridge Vineyards makes a vibrant Lambrusco-like sparkling red.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
But Wadephul, on his third trip to Africa this year, said "the potential of our economic partnership is far from exhausted" in Nigeria, "particularly in information technology and the vibrant start-up sector".
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
Disease, disturbance and pollution have meant vast swathes of once vibrant green seabed have been left bare.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
It stretches up toward the vibrant skies, its dark scales drinking in the light around it.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
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.
