rapid
Americanadjective
-
occurring within a short time; happening speedily.
rapid growth.
-
moving or acting with great speed; swift.
a rapid worker.
-
characterized by speed.
rapid motion.
noun
adjective
-
(of an action or movement) performed or occurring during a short interval of time; quick
a rapid transformation
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characterized by high speed
rapid movement
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acting or moving quickly; fast
a rapid worker
Related Words
See quick.
Other Word Forms
- rapidity noun
- rapidly adverb
- ultrarapid adjective
Etymology
Origin of rapid
First recorded in 1625–35, rapid is from the Latin word rapidus “tearing away, seizing, swift”; see rape 1, -id 4
Explanation
Rapid means happening with great speed or in a brief period of time. Think of Rapid Eye Movement (REM sleep), when your eyes are darting back and forth quickly — trying to follow your fast-paced dreams. Rapid comes from the Latin word rapere, which means "to hurry away" or "to seize." If you are first to raise your hand in class with the correct answer, your teacher will be pleased with your rapid response. Your pulse may be rapid after you run a quick sprint, and after a rapid run-up in the stock market you may decide to sell some shares and lock in the profit.
Vocabulary lists containing rapid
Name On: Pro Sports Team Names, Part 2
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A Need for Speed: Synonyms for "Fast"
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Beowulf vocabulary
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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.
TOKYO—The yen has breached the psychologically important 160 level against the dollar, but the lack of rapid, one-sided moves makes it difficult to justify government intervention, analysts say.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026
Guys hitting massive sixes, guys bowling rapid and spinners ragging it.
From BBC • Apr. 30, 2026
Victims' families penned an open letter in December urging Albanese to "immediately establish a Commonwealth Royal Commission into the rapid rise of antisemitism in Australia".
From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026
Using the new pencil beam approach, the team generated rapid, high-precision images while also tracking how cells absorb proteins in real time.
From Science Daily • Apr. 28, 2026
My way ran parallel to a rapid, shallow river—the Battenkill—spanned by covered bridges here and there along its course.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
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.
