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 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
Ms. Peet’s vivid blue eyes remain a major asset in “Fantasy Life,” an unforced character study that wryly observes some mild turbulence in the day-to-day existence of a group of mixed-up New Yorkers.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026
Dreams, especially those that are vivid and immersive, may actually make sleep feel deeper and more restorative rather than interrupting it.
From Science Daily • Mar. 26, 2026
Mark Mendelson’s scenic design, more elaborate than most Rogue Machine offerings, doesn’t achieve the oblique effect of the original production but sets the stage in vivid detail.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2026
The city was no longer a museum; it was as vivid to me as Buck’s Peak.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
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.
