rapidly
Americanadverb
-
within a short period of time.
There are thousands of languages spoken in the world today, but many of them are rapidly approaching obsolescence and extinction.
-
with great speed; swiftly.
Bats are more likely than birds to detect rapidly spinning turbine blades and avoid flying into them.
Other Word Forms
- ultrarapidly adverb
Etymology
Origin of rapidly
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The small crack in the hull that still needs repair, that I made wider by smashing Nate’s axe into it, is rapidly gulping up the cold, dark water of the lake.
From Literature
China has moved well beyond rhetoric: childbirth is now effectively free under the insurance system, and reimbursement for assisted reproductive services has been expanding rapidly.
From Barron's
The MEK opposed the rule of the shah and initially supported the 1979 Islamic revolution but rapidly fell out with the new clerical leadership in the 1980s.
From Barron's
The chain, which has been rapidly expanding since inflation surged in 2021, has set a goal of 3,200 stores globally by the end of 2028.
From Los Angeles Times
“As the nascent AI field advances rapidly, we respect OpenAI’s decision to exit from the video generation business and to shift its priorities elsewhere,” Disney said in a statement.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
