vivid

[viv-id]

adjective

1. strikingly bright or intense, as color, light, etc..

   a vivid green.

   Synonyms: intense, brilliant, bright

2. full of life; lively; animated.

   a vivid personality.

   Synonyms: intense, vivacious, spirited

3. presenting the appearance, freshness, spirit, etc., of life; realistic.

   a vivid account.

4. strong, distinct, or clearly perceptible.

   a vivid recollection.

5. forming distinct and striking mental images.

   a vivid imagination.

vivid

/ ˈvɪvɪd /

adjective

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

2. brilliantly coloured

   vivid plumage

3. conveying to the mind striking realism, freshness, or trueness to life; graphic

   a vivid account

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

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

6. making a powerful impact on the emotions or senses

   a vivid feeling of shame

7. uttered, operating, or acting with vigour

   vivid expostulations

8. full of life or vitality

   a vivid personality

Other Word Forms

• vividly adverb
• vividness noun
• vividity noun
• overvivid adjective
• overvividness noun
• unvivid adjective
• unvividness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of vivid¹

First recorded in 1630–40; from Latin vīvidus “lively,” equivalent to vīv(ere) “to live” + -idus adjective suffix; vital, -id ⁴

Word History and Origins

Origin of vivid¹

C17: from Latin vīvidus animated, from vīvere to live

Synonym Study

See picturesque.

Example Sentences

The documentaries provide visual accompaniment to the vivid writing coursing through “Last Rites,” which kicks off in 2018, when Osbourne’s medical troubles begin.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

He has consulted weather reports, diaries, architectural records and every newspaper imaginable to create a vivid and historically accurate account of the boom, crash and aftermath.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

We are given vivid glimpses into the author’s childhood in communist Bulgaria, where haircuts were strictly policed and emotions kept under wraps, a world in which the ultimate parent was “the Party.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Ms. Case’s lyrics are so vivid and well-rendered you feel like they could just as easily be transformed into epic poems, personal essays, or chapters in a book.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

His most vivid memory was the time a guard in El Centro gave him extra food because he thought my dad was a bit too skinny.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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