Meaning & use
vividly
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Meanings
adverb
In a way that creates strong, clear pictures or feelings in your mind.
Grammar: Used to describe how an action is done, often with verbs like remember, describe, imagine, or picture.
Patterns
- remember something vividly
- describe something vividly
- imagine something vividly
I remember the day we met vividly, as if it were yesterday.
She described the accident vividly, so we could almost see it.
He vividly imagined what life would be like in another country.
adverb
In a way that is very bright, strong, or easy to notice with the senses.
Grammar: Used to describe how something appears or is shown, often with verbs like shine, appear, or display.
Patterns
- shine vividly
- appear vividly
- be vividly displayed
The sunset was vividly orange and pink.
The colors in the painting appear vividly even after many years.
The warning sign was vividly displayed at the entrance.
Common combinations
- remember vividly
- I remember vividly the first time I rode a bike.
- describe vividly
- The author describes vividly the sights and sounds of the city.
- vividly illustrated
- The book is vividly illustrated with photographs.
- vividly recall
- She can vividly recall her grandmother's voice.
- vividly imagine
- Try to vividly imagine yourself lying on a beach.
Synonyms and how they differ
- clearly
- Focuses on being easy to understand or see, while vividly emphasizes strong, lively mental images.
- graphically
- Often used for unpleasant details shown in a very clear and explicit way; vividly is more neutral and can be positive.
- brightly
- Used mainly for light or colors, not for memories or descriptions.
Opposites
Word family
- vivid adjective
- Producing powerful, clear images in the mind; bright and strong.
- vividness noun
- The quality of being vivid; clearness and strength of images or colors.
Commonly confused: vividly or vivid?
vividly vs vivid
Vivid is an adjective (a vivid dream), while vividly is an adverb (dream vividly).
Practice
Choose the correct word: She could still ___ the smell of fresh bread from her childhood.
Choose one answer.
The verb 'smell' needs an adverb to describe how she remembers, so 'vividly' is correct. 'Vivid' is an adjective and cannot modify the verb; 'vividness' is a noun; 'vivids' is not a word.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “vividly”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.