afterimage

/ˈæftərˌɪmɪdʒ/
noun
  1. An image that continues to appear in the eyes after the original image is gone, often in complementary colors.
    • When you look at a red square for a long time and then look away, you might see a green afterimage.
    • After staring at the bright light, I saw an afterimage of a green spot.
    • The photographer's eyes were full of afterimages from the camera flash.
  2. A lingering memory or impression of something that is no longer present.
    • The song left an afterimage of happiness in my mind.
    • The movie's final scene created an afterimage of sadness that lasted all evening.
    • Even years later, the afterimage of that sunset stayed with her.
Synonyms
What does "afterimage" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean