vivid

adjective viv·id \ ˈvi-vəd \

Definition of vivid

1 of a color :very strong :very high in chroma

2 :having the appearance of vigorous life or freshness :lively

a vivid sketch

3 :producing a strong or clear impression on the senses :sharp, intense; specifically :producing distinct mental images

a vivid description

4 :acting clearly and vigorously

a vivid imagination

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vividly

adverb

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vividness

noun

See vivid defined for English-language learners

See vivid defined for kids

Examples of vivid in a Sentence

He gave a vivid description of the scene.
The book includes many vivid illustrations.
The dream was very vivid.
She could remember the dream in vivid detail.
The fabric was dyed a vivid red.

Recent Examples of vivid from the Web

The story is as intricate as any Russian novel, and the chapters on the Stalinist Terror are the most vivid.

— New York Times, "10 New Books We Recommend This Week," 24 Aug. 2017
In Kansas City and beyond, a historic day is unfolding in vivid detail.

— eric adler, scott canon, rick montgomery, robert a. cronkleton, kansascity, "Solar eclipse: Live coverage from The Kansas City Star’s reporters," 21 Aug. 2017
In other words, RuPaul has long been a vivid rebuke to rigid world views, conservative social values, and self-seriousness of all kinds, well before the culture shift that’s opened up a growth market for his message.

— rebecca keegan, HWD, "RuPaul, Hardest-Working Drag Queen in Show Business, Eyes Emmy Gold," 21 Aug. 2017
For someone of my generation, who grew up with the Apartheid regime as a sort of cardboard bogeyman, Malan’s vivid reportage makes the horror of South Africa under P.W. Botha come alive in sickening ways.

— the editors, The Atlantic, "What We're Reading This Summer," 4 Aug. 2017
A youngster, Jake Chambers (Tom Taylor), has been haunted by vivid nightmares for a year.

— rick bentley, idahostatesman, "‘The Dark Tower’ pale version of King’s story," 3 Aug. 2017
The 2015 Dauphin Island Race disaster that killed six sailors on Mobile Bay has been revisited in a vivid, in-depth story in Smithsonian Magazine.

— lawrence specker, AL.com, "Smithsonian magazine spotlights 2015 Dauphin Island Race disaster," 5 July 2017
The result was a vivid album both thematically and lyrically.

— matt miller, Esquire, "Jay-Z Reminds Us Who He Really Is on 4:44," 30 June 2017
The opera unfolds in 13 scenes over two acts to a vivid libretto by Hilary Blecher and Migdalia Cruz.

— janelle gelfand, Cincinnati.com, "Cincinnati Opera’s ‘Frida’ tinged with emotion, fiery spirit," 24 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'vivid.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of vivid

Latin vividus, from vivere to live — more at quick

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1634

See Words from the same year

vivid Synonyms

Synonyms

delineated, pictorial, picturesque, visual, graphic

Related Words

depicted, descriptive, expressive; concrete, explicit, specific; faithful, lifelike, natural, photographic, realistic; fresh, incisive, sharp

Near Antonyms

indeterminate, nebulous, obscure, sketchy, unclear, vague; bleary, blurry, dark, dim, faint, foggy, fuzzy, hazy, indefinite, indistinct, indistinguishable, muddy, murky, shadowlike, shadowy; ambiguous, cryptic, dark, enigmatic (also enigmatical), equivocal, inscrutable, mysterious

Synonym Discussion of vivid

graphic, vivid, picturesque mean giving a clear visual impression in words. graphic stresses the evoking of a clear lifelike picture.

- a graphic account of combat

vivid suggests an impressing on the mind of the vigorous aliveness of something.

- a vivid re-creation of an exciting event

picturesque suggests the presentation of a striking or effective picture composed of features notable for their distinctness and charm.

- a picturesque account of his travels

Other Color Terms

argentine, cerise, cerulean, cyan, ocher, perse, puce, taupe, vermilion

VIVID Defined for English Language Learners

vivid

adjective

Definition of vivid for English Language Learners

of a picture, memory, etc. : seeming like real life because it is very clear, bright, or detailed
: very bright in color

VIVID Defined for Kids

vivid

adjective viv·id \ ˈvi-vəd \

Definition of vivid for Students

1 :producing strong mental images

a vivid description

2 :very strong or bright

vivid red

3 :acting clearly and powerfully

a vivid imagination

4 :seeming full of life and freshness

a vivid painting

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vividly

adverb

That scene of two years before flashed back into her recollection as vividly as if it had taken place yesterday.
—Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

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vividness

noun

Word Root of vivid

The Latin word vivere, meaning “to live,” gives us the root viv. Words from the Latin vivere have something to do with living. To survive is to remain alive. To revive is to bring back to life. Someone vivacious is full of life and is lively and energetic. Something, such as a story, that is vivid appears to be full of life and freshness.

Headscratcher for vivid

If you have studied Roman numerals, you might see something special about the word vivid. It is spelled with letters that are all Roman numerals. (V equals 5, I equals 1, and D equals 500.) Some other words spelled with letters that are Roman numerals are dill, mill, livid, civil, and civic.