Vivid
adjective /ˈvɪvɪd/ — Bright and striking — having the intensity of color or detail that makes it feel fully alive.
Definition
Producing powerful feelings or strong, clear images in the mind; (of a color) intensely deep or bright; strikingly bright or clear.
Beyond the definition
Vivid is the word for color and experience at their most alive — it names intensity, not just brightness. A vivid memory is not just clear but present, felt. The vivid thing insists on being registered; it won't recede into background.
Origin & history
From Latin vividus — lively, lifelike (from vivere: to live). The living quality — vivid as the adjective of the alive. Color that lives.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The memory was vivid in a way that surprised her — thirty years and still present in its particular light.
She chose vivid colors for the studio — the environment of someone who needed to be awake to work.
Vivid is not just bright: it is living. It names the quality of what feels fully present.
How to use it
This entry uses an adjective. Follow the examples for the nouns it describes and its position in the sentence.
Choose “Vivid” when the meaning fits your context: Producing powerful feelings or strong, clear images in the mind; (of a color) intensely deep or bright; strikingly bright or clear.
Synonyms
bright, intense, vibrant, striking, clear
Antonyms
dull, faded, muted, lifeless
Related words
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Sunlight Striking Bright Flower
A single, brilliant beam of sunlight breaks through clouds to strike a beautiful, vibrant flower on a balcony.
The sharp, brilliant beam of light illuminating the flower represents the vivid quality of clear, intense imagery. It captures the definition of being strikingly bright, as the light makes the flower's natural colors appear exceptionally deep and powerful against the urban background.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration
Questions about this word
What does "Vivid" mean?
Vivid is adjective meaning: Bright and striking — having the intensity of color or detail that makes it feel fully alive.. Producing powerful feelings or strong, clear images in the mind; (of a color) intensely deep or bright; strikingly bright or clear.
Where does the word "Vivid" come from?
From Latin vividus — lively, lifelike (from vivere: to live). The living quality — vivid as the adjective of the alive. Color that lives.