rapid

[ rap-id ]

/ ˈræp ɪd /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR rapid ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, sometimes rap·id·er, rap·id·est.

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

Usually rapids. a part of a river where the current runs very swiftly.

Nearby words

Origin of rapid

First recorded in 1625–35, rapid is from the Latin word rapidus tearing away, seizing, swift. See rape¹, -id⁴

SYNONYMS FOR rapid

2. See quick.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR rapid ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formsrap·id·ly, adverbul·tra·rap·id, adjectiveul·tra·rap·id·ly, adverb

Can be confusedfast quick rapid swift (see synonym study at quick)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for rapid

The rapid rise of the sharing economy is changing the way people around the world commute, shop, vacation, and borrow.
Why Do ‘Progressives’ Want to Ban Uber and AirBnB?|Adam Thierer, Christopher Koopman|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He experienced a rapid rise, only beginning to play cricket competitively at age 11.
The Story of the World’s Greatest Cricket Player|William O’Connor|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In some ways, the rapid spread of the virus there should not be surprising.
Millions Promised for Ebola Not Adding Up|Abby Haglage|November 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The loss of whitebark and the rapid increase in human-killed grizzlies are synchronous.
What It Takes to Kill a Grizzly Bear|Doug Peacock|November 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The country was building houses at a rapid clip, which required a large amount of immigrant labor.
Legal but Still Poor: The Economic Consequences of Amnesty|Joel Kotkin|November 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And this rapid change, this third engagement within a few weeks,—was disgusting to her as a woman.
The American Senator|Anthony Trollope
This is an example of drawing for process for rapid printing.
The Art of Illustration|Henry Blackburn
She slipped past him out of the door, and he heard her light and rapid footfall as she sped up the stairs.
Throckmorton|Molly Elliot Seawell
A policeman in the street had seen them hire a cab and drive away through Broadway at a rapid pace.
The Bradys and the Girl Smuggler|Francis W. Doughty
“I thought so,” he exclaimed, when we had got about half a mile below the rapid.
Snow Shoes and Canoes|William H. G. Kingston

British Dictionary definitions for rapid

rapid

/ (ˈræpɪd) /

adjective

(of an action or movement) performed or occurring during a short interval of time; quicka rapid transformation

characterized by high speedrapid movement

acting or moving quickly; fasta rapid worker

Word Origin for rapid

C17: from Latin rapidus tearing away, from rapere to seize; see rape 1

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for rapid

rapid

adj.

1630s, "moving quickly," from French rapide (17c.) and directly from Latin rapidus "hasty, swift, rapid; snatching; fierce, impetuous," from rapere "hurry away, carry off, seize, plunder," from PIE root *rep- "to snatch" (cf. Greek ereptomai "devour," harpazein "snatch away," Lithuanian raples "tongs"). Meaning "happening in a short time" is from 1780. Related: Rapidly; rapidness. Rapid-transit first attested 1852, in reference to street railways; rapid eye movement is from 1906.

rapid

adjective, sometimes rap·id·er, rap·id·est.

noun

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Origin of rapid

Examples from the Web for rapid

rapid

adjective

Word Origin for rapid

rapid