vivid

[viv-id]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR vivid ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

strikingly bright or intense, as color, light, etc.: a vivid green.

full of life; lively; animated: a vivid personality.

presenting the appearance, freshness, spirit, etc., of life; realistic: a vivid account.

strong, distinct, or clearly perceptible: a vivid recollection.

forming distinct and striking mental images: a vivid imagination.

Origin of vivid

1630–40; < Latin vīvidus lively, equivalent to vīv(ere) to live (see vital) + -idus -id⁴

Related formsviv·id·ly, adverbviv·id·ness, vi·vid·i·ty, nouno·ver·viv·id, adjectiveo·ver·viv·id·ly, adverbo·ver·viv·id·ness, nounun·viv·id, adjectiveun·viv·id·ly, adverbun·viv·id·ness, noun

Synonyms for vivid

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR vivid ON THESAURUS.COM

1. bright, brilliant, intense. 2. spirited, vivacious, intense. 3. See picturesque.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for vivid

theatrical, animated, colorful, striking, brilliant, expressive, lucid, eloquent, glowing, realistic, bright, dramatic, lively, rich, sharp, telling, memorable, lifelike, meaningful, active

Examples from the Web for vivid

Contemporary Examples of vivid

Yet for a vivid decade or so, sleaze was, somewhat paradoxically, a force for literacy and empowerment.
How Pulp Fiction Saved Literature
Wendy Smith
January 8, 2015
Today, with the memories of Ingrid Bergman so vivid in his mind, it seems clear that he's been thinking about her a great deal.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days
David Freeman
December 13, 2014
By the end of his life, the memories of corporal punishment at the hands of his teachers were vivid.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days
David Freeman
December 13, 2014
For such songs, she pairs raunchy lyrics with vivid imagery.
From Church of Christ to Pansexual Rapper
Tyler Gillespie
November 28, 2014
This particular bit of airplane was vivid with the possibility that it was a significant clue.
How Amelia's Plane Was Found
Michael Daly
October 30, 2014

Historical Examples of vivid

Weeks passed away, and with them the vivid memories of that time.
Life in London
Edwin Hodder
At this revelation a vivid blush glowed on Gracie Dennis' cheek.
Ester Ried Yet Speaking
Isabella Alden
This is so broad, however, that it may not make a direct and vivid impression.
Understanding the Scriptures
Francis McConnell
The vivid beauty of her blush startled him, and she drew her hand quickly from his.
Quaint Courtships
Various
Simultaneously he received a vivid mental photograph of the locality.
The Black Bag
Louis Joseph Vance

British Dictionary definitions for vivid

vivid

adjective

(of a colour) very bright; having a very high saturation or purity; produced by a pure or almost pure colouring agent

brilliantly colouredvivid plumage

conveying to the mind striking realism, freshness, or trueness to life; graphica vivid account

(of a recollection, memory, etc) remaining distinct in the mind

(of the imagination, etc) prolific in the formation of lifelike images

making a powerful impact on the emotions or sensesa vivid feeling of shame

uttered, operating, or acting with vigourvivid expostulations

full of life or vitalitya vivid personality

Derived Formsvividly, adverbvividness, noun

Word Origin for vivid

C17: from Latin vīvidus animated, from vīvere to live

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for vivid

adj.

1630s, from Latin vividus "spirited, animated, lively," from vivus "alive," from PIE *gwei- (see vital). Extension to colors is first recorded 1660s. Sense of "strong, distinct" (as of memories, etc.) is from 1680s; that of "very active or intense" (as of imagination, interest, etc.) is from 1853. Related: Vividly; vividness.