etched memory

Meaning

1. 1phrasecountablefigurative

   a memory that is so clear and powerful that it seems permanently fixed in your mind

   Grammar: Countable; often used in the plural, e.g. etched memories of childhood. Usually appears after verbs like have, remain, or leave.

   Patterns

   • have an etched memory of something
   • leave an etched memory
   • remain an etched memory

   She has an etched memory of the day the war ended.

   The smell of the sea left an etched memory that he could never shake.

   For many survivors, those years remain etched memories that shape their lives.

Word forms

Common combinations

have an etched memory of

I have an etched memory of my first day at school.

leave an etched memory

The accident left an etched memory in her mind.

remain an etched memory

That summer remains an etched memory for all of us.

an etched memory from childhood

He shared an etched memory from childhood about his grandmother.

Synonyms and how they differ

vivid memory

Vivid memory emphasizes clarity and detail; etched memory suggests something permanently fixed and emotionally powerful.

lasting memory

Lasting memory simply means it continues over time; etched memory is stronger and more figurative, suggesting it is carved into the mind.

Word family

etch verb

to cut a pattern or words into a hard surface, or figuratively to fix something firmly in the mind

etching noun

a picture or design made by cutting lines into a metal plate, or the art of making such pictures

Commonly confused: etched memory or etched in memory?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “etched memory”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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