vivid

adjective viv·id \ ˈvi-vəd \

Updated on: 15 Apr 2018

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 script, written in vivid, conversational language, confirms at least a few of those prejudices.

— alexis soloski, New York Times, "Review: In ‘Dutch Masters,’ Subway Seatmates, So Close and Yet So Far," 10 Apr. 2018
Bowler is an assistant professor at Duke Divinity School who happens to have robust and vivid expertise in the American prosperity gospel, that televangelist-style creed preached in megachurches across the land.

— barbara mahany, chicagotribune.com, "'Everything Happens for a Reason' and more reviewed in this week's spiritual book roundup," 3 Apr. 2018
As soon as virtual reality became workable, in the early nineteen-eighties, researchers imagined creating vivid, detailed, hallucinogenic worlds.

— naomi fry, The New Yorker, "Are We Already Living in Virtual Reality?," 26 Mar. 2018
Instead of dyeing giant swaths to resemble vivid, My Little Pony tails or even going with an all-over dusty hue, this latest take does for rainbow hair what Catbird did for jewelry — making it minimal, clean, and barely there.

— erika stalder, refinery29.com, ""Baby Rainbow" Hair Is The Coolest Festival Trend We've Seen," 22 Mar. 2018
Ghosts who look exactly like Día de Muertos skeletons are everywhere, their bony faces vivid and emotionally expressive.

— sam machkovech, Ars Technica, "Coco isn’t just a must-own 4K/HDR film—it’s a bright sign of the format’s future," 26 Feb. 2018
And now, 50 years later, Mary Hollingsworth takes up the same job, telling in vivid and well-researched prose the particulars of one clan's merciless self-aggrandizement.

— steve donoghue, The Christian Science Monitor, "'The Family Medici' vividly and clearly tells the story of one clan's merciless self-aggrandizement," 28 Mar. 2018
As the video progresses, more varied and vivid images flash across the screen until the cave peels apart to reveal celestial bodies.

— sarah gibbens, National Geographic, "This DJ Has Written a Song for the World," 28 Mar. 2018
Adès is the conductor, leading a taut and vivid performance that does full justice to the constant liveliness of the score.

— joshua kosman, San Francisco Chronicle, "‘The Exterminating Angel’ dazzles in PBS broadcast," 27 Mar. 2018

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 ¹quick

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1634

See Words from the same year

vivid Synonyms

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.