Showing results for "rap"

• a variation of rap music.

rap

¹ American  

[rap] / ræp /

verb (used with object)

rapped, rapping

1. to strike, especially with a quick, smart, or light blow.

   He rapped the door with his cane.

2. to utter sharply or vigorously.

   to rap out a command.

3. (of a spirit summoned by a medium) to communicate (a message) by raps (often followed byout ).

4. Slang. to criticize sharply.

   Critics could hardly wait to rap the play.

5. Slang. to arrest, detain, or sentence for a crime.

6. Metallurgy. to jar (a pattern) loose from a sand mold.

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verb (used without object)

rapped, rapping

1. to knock smartly or lightly, especially so as to make a noise.

   to rap on a door.

2. Slang. to talk or discuss, especially freely, openly, or volubly; chat.

3. Slang. to talk rhythmically to the beat of rap music.

noun

1. a quick, smart, or light blow.

   a rap on the knuckles with a ruler.

2. the sound produced by such a blow.

   They heard a loud rap at the door.

3. Slang. blame or punishment, especially for a crime.

4. Slang. a criminal charge.

   a murder rap.

5. Slang. response, reception, or judgment.

   The product has been getting a very bad rap.

6. Slang.

   1. a talk, conversation, or discussion; chat.

   2. talk designed to impress, convince, etc.; spiel.

      a high-pressure sales rap.

7. rap music.

idioms

1. take the rap, to take the blame and punishment for a crime committed by another.

   He took the rap for the burglary.

2. beat the rap, to succeed in evading the penalty for a crime; be acquitted.

   The defendant calmly insisted that he would beat the rap.

rap ² American  

[rap] / ræp /

noun

1. the least bit; the smallest amount; jot; iota.

   I don't care a rap.

2. a counterfeit halfpenny formerly passed in Ireland.

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rap ³ American  

[rap] / ræp /

verb (used with object)

Archaic.

rapped, rapt, rapping

1. to carry off; transport.

2. to transport with rapture.

3. to seize for oneself; snatch.

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rap ¹ British  

/ ræp /

verb

1. to strike (a fist, stick, etc) against (something) with a sharp quick blow; knock

   he rapped at the door

2. (intr) to make a sharp loud sound, esp by knocking

3. (tr) to rebuke or criticize sharply

4. to put (forth) in sharp rapid speech; utter in an abrupt fashion

   to rap out orders

5. slang (intr) to talk, esp volubly

6. (intr) to perform a rhythmic monologue with a musical backing

7. to reprimand

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noun

1. a sharp quick blow or the sound produced by such a blow

2. a sharp rebuke or criticism

3. slang voluble talk; chatter

   stop your rap

4. 1. a fast, rhythmic monologue over a prerecorded instrumental track

   2. ( as modifier )

      rap music

5. slang a legal charge or case

6. slang to escape punishment or be acquitted of a crime

7. slang to suffer the consequences of a mistake, misdeed, or crime, whether guilty or not

rap ² British  

/ ræp /

verb

1. informal a variant spelling of wrap wrap

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rap ³ British  

/ ræp /

noun

1. (used with a negative) the least amount (esp in the phrase not to care a rap )

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rap Cultural  

1. A form of pop music characterized by spoken or chanted rhymed lyrics, with a syncopated, repetitive accompaniment. Rap music originated in the second half of the twentieth century in black urban communities. (See also hip-hop.)

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rap More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing rap

• beat the rap
• bum rap
• not give a damn (rap)
• take the rap

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Other Word Forms

• rapping
  noun

Etymology

Origin of rap¹

First recorded in 1300–50; 1960–65 rap ¹ for def. 8; Middle English verb rappen; akin to Swedish rappa “to beat, drub,” German rappeln “to rattle”; the senses “to talk” and “conversation, talk” are perhaps of distinct origin, though the hypothesis that these meanings are a shortening of repartee is questionable

Origin of rap²

First recorded in 1715–25; origin uncertain

Origin of rap³

First recorded in 1520–30; back formation from rapt

Explanation

To rap is to hit something, talk, or bust into rhymes like the Fat Boys in the rap song “Human Beat Box” (1984). That’s some old school Brooklyn rap, but you can rap to any beat you want. Hit it! A rap is a knock or blow, like if you rap somebody upside the head as a gentle reminder to pay attention. The word rap also means, "reputation,” like if you get a bad rap at school for sleeping in class. It’s also "to talk at great length." And there’s the musical rap, the “genre that includes talking rhythmically over a beat.” This meaning comes from African American slang for, basically, "talking.”

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

rap rapped rapping rapt

Underneath, Johnson spits guttural injections like he’s auditioning for the Atlanta rap group Migos.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026

On the song, she captures the club's electrifying clientele in a rap section that riffs on Vogue's roll-call of Hollywood legends.

From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026

"Ceuzany is capable of injecting a bit of rap into coladeira. She is just as comfortable with urban music artists as she is with traditional ones," he said.

From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026

If you grew up with this sound, you’ve internalized voices like this to a degree that you barely notice how they connect to rap and emo.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026

I raise my fist and rap the wood gently with my knuckles.

From "How It Went Down" by Kekla Magoon

“Daddy AF” was the first time I ever rapped on a song and that felt so good so I continued it.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 25, 2026

"Made mistakes, now I treat my career like a second child," he rapped.

From BBC ● Mar. 9, 2026

David Cameron was rapped on the knuckles when he claimed the late queen "purred" down the phone line when he told her the result of the Scottish referendum.

From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2025

He rapped about the hardships of Nepali farmers in his politically conscious song—“Prashna,” meaning “Question”—over a gritty, Wu-Tang Clan-style beat.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2025

Not long after, a large military vehicle drove up to the gate and rapped on the door.

From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh

So I wrote songs, I started rapping to entertain myself.

From BBC ● May 28, 2026

The relentless focus solely on rapping makes “Iceman” exhausting, even though there are some strong tracks along the way.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 19, 2026

Lindo starts rapping on the wood table separating us and doesn’t stop until I ask if he’s a man given to superstition.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 11, 2026

His musical bona fides are undeniable—along with his rapping prowess, he’s also a skilled producer—but he has an everyman quality rare for his genre.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 10, 2026

Like the three doctors in Buffalo, the Burrs agreed that the alleged spirit rapping could be caused by cracking joints: knees, ankles, toes, or shoulders.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

Was he too rapt by his proximity to the most powerful man in the world?

From Slate ● Jul. 13, 2026

It's now 24 years since Rhona Martin delivered the Stone of Destiny in Salt Lake City, watched by millions of rapt viewers at dark o'clock in the UK.

From BBC ● Feb. 11, 2026

Manuel Alarcon, her father, was seated in the crowd, clasping his hands in rapt attention.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 9, 2026

Former skipper Joe Root was equally rapt to finally get a win on Australian soil, but acknowledged it came too late with the Ashes already lost.

From Barron's ● Dec. 27, 2025

I was filled with a mix of rapt admiration and abject fear.

From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel

Related Words

• knock
• scold