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
Etymology
Origin of vivid
First recorded in 1630–40; from Latin vīvidus “lively,” equivalent to vīv(ere) “to live” + -idus adjective suffix; see vital, -id 4
Explanation
Vivid is an adjective that describes a bold and bright color, an intense feeling, or an image in your mind that is so clear you can almost touch it. Sometimes you have a vivid dream that feels so real that even when you wake up, you can’t tell if the dream is really over. In that dream, perhaps there were flowers with deep, rich, and vivid colors that looked like they were painted. Vivid comes from the Latin vivere, which means “to live,” and vivid memories do seem to live on.
Vocabulary lists containing vivid
"Easter, 1916" by W.B. Yeats
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "V"
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Achievement First 8th Grade IA 1 Words
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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.
His vivid colour photographs now frequently appear in local media outlets -- alongside pictures of fires, explosions and obituaries.
From Barron's • May 20, 2026
After the meat-and-potatoes structure and extreme length of “Iceman,” the comparatively brief and more musically vivid “Maid of Honour,” 45 minutes to the other’s 68, is a relief.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026
A number of intesive care patients have reported experiencing vivid dreams while in a coma and studies in Greece and Australia have explored this phenomenon.
From BBC • May 15, 2026
That has got to be one of the most vivid descriptions of a healthy relationship with money: You are nurturing the excess energy from all of the work you have done throughout the years.
From MarketWatch • May 12, 2026
She placed one finger on her vivid lips.
From "Habibi" by Naomi Shihab Nye
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.
