Meaning & use
vivid illustration
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Meanings
phrasecountable
A very clear, detailed example or picture that makes an idea easy to understand.
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a vivid illustration' or 'vivid illustrations'. Often followed by 'of': a vivid illustration of the problem.
Patterns
- a vivid illustration of something
- give a vivid illustration
- provide a vivid illustration
The teacher gave a vivid illustration of how the heart pumps blood.
Her story is a vivid illustration of the difficulties refugees face.
The book uses vivid illustrations to explain complex science.
phrasecountable
A picture or drawing with strong, bright colors and clear details.
Grammar: Countable; often used in the plural when talking about pictures in a book.
Patterns
- a vivid illustration of something
- with vivid illustrations
The children's book is full of vivid illustrations of animals.
He drew a vivid illustration of the mountain scene.
Word forms
| plural | vivid illustrations |
|---|
Common combinations
- a vivid illustration of
- The graph is a vivid illustration of the rise in prices.
- give a vivid illustration
- She gave a vivid illustration of what life was like in the past.
- provide a vivid illustration
- The documentary provides a vivid illustration of climate change.
- vivid illustration in a book
- The vivid illustrations in the book help children learn new words.
Synonyms and how they differ
- clear example
- More general; it means easy to understand but does not necessarily suggest strong, detailed images.
- graphic description
- Stronger and often unpleasant; it suggests very clear and sometimes shocking details.
Commonly confused: vivid illustration or vivid imagination?
vivid illustration vs vivid imagination
This means the ability to imagine things clearly, not an example or picture that explains something.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'vivid illustration' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Vivid illustration' means a clear example or picture. Option 1 fits because it describes a clear example of a process. Option 2 confuses it with 'vivid imagination'. Options 3 and 4 use it as an adjective or noun for a person, which is wrong.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “vivid illustration”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.