lucid

/ˈluːsɪd/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈluːsɪd/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈlü-səd/ (ame, mw)

lucid — adjective

  • lucidpositive
  • more lucidcomparative
  • most lucidsuperlative

1. (of writing, speech, or an argument) well organised and simple for the reader to

1.形容詞C1
釋義

(of writing, speech, or an argument) well organised and simple for the reader to take in; also said of someone whose mind is sharp enough to think and talk without confusion, especially after illness or strong emotion.

例句

Professor Andrés gave a lucid explanation of how the heart pumps blood through the body.

common collocation: lucid explanation

Meera writes in such a lucid style that even beginners can follow her physics articles.

collocation: lucid style / lucid prose

同義詞
  • clear

    everyday word; 'lucid' is more formal and praises careful organisation of ideas

  • coherent

    stresses that the parts fit together logically; 'lucid' adds the sense of being easy to follow

  • intelligible

    minimum standard — just possible to understand; 'lucid' is the higher bar of well-presented clarity

  • articulate

    describes the speaker's ability to express thoughts; 'lucid' describes the resulting speech or writing

反義詞
  • confused

    of a person; opposite of the 'thinking clearly' use

  • muddled

    of writing or argument; ideas jumbled together

  • obscure

    of writing; deliberately or carelessly hard to follow

用法筆記

Often appears in a small set of fixed collocations: 'lucid explanation', 'lucid prose/style', 'lucid moment/interval' (of a confused or ill person briefly thinking clearly), and 'lucid dream'. Outside these, learners usually reach for 'clear' instead.

常見錯誤

❌The water in the glass was lucid.
✅The water in the glass was clear.
💡for see-through liquids, use 'clear'; sense 1 of 'lucid' is about thought or expression, not transparency.
❌She gave a lucid speech with many jokes and stories.
✅She gave a lively speech with many jokes and stories.
💡'lucid' praises clarity of reasoning, not energy or entertainment value.

2. allowing light to pass through so that shapes or colours behind can be seen — us

2.形容詞C2
釋義

allowing light to pass through so that shapes or colours behind can be seen — used mainly in literary or scientific writing to describe water, glass, air, or thin material.

例句

The poet described the mountain lake as a lucid pool that mirrored the pine trees overhead.

literary register: lucid + body of water

Tariq held the gemstone up to the lamp to admire its lucid green colour.

同義詞
  • transparent

    the everyday term; objects you can see straight through

  • translucent

    light passes through but shapes behind are blurred — narrower than 'lucid'

  • limpid

    literary synonym, often of water or eyes — same register as sense 2 'lucid'

反義詞
  • opaque

    no light passes through at all

  • murky

    of water; cloudy with dirt or sediment

用法筆記

This sense is largely literary; in everyday English, 'clear', 'transparent', or 'translucent' do the same job. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 2 is about a physical property (light passes through), never about thought or speech.

常見錯誤

❌The professor's argument was lucid like glass.
✅The professor's argument was as clear as glass.
💡mixing senses; sense 2 describes physical transparency, not the clarity of an argument.