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.
But the most vivid performance might in fact be the convenience store itself, brought to fluorescent, sanitized, colorful life by scenic designer Joanna Yu and lighting designer Wen-Ling Liao.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2026
The results showed that people reported the deepest sleep not only when they had no conscious experience, but also after vivid, immersive dreams.
From Science Daily • Mar. 26, 2026
But by his own admission, Styles attributes the vivid sonic textures of his latest album to the “joyous” influence of LCD Soundsystem.
From Salon • Mar. 6, 2026
The effect transforms ordinary sunrises and sunsets into vivid displays, with glowing horizons and skies rich in gold, amber, and burnt orange, sometimes giving the landscape an almost surreal, otherworldly feel.
From BBC • Mar. 4, 2026
It’s a vivid image: G lying next to an abandoned tire and some fast-food trash in a flooded roadside ditch.
From "Popcorn" by Rob Harrell
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.
