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
The newly described species include S. arabicus and S. somalicus, named after the regions where they were found, and S. speciosus, which takes its name from its vivid and attractive coloration.
From Science Daily • Apr. 6, 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
One of the most vivid descriptions of the Great Molasses Flood would be written by the Boston Post.
From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler
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.
