Dictionary.com
definitions

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.

RELATED CONTENT

Millennial Allergies And The Language AffectedRead more in this article about some frequently asked questions and fun facts related to our definitions.
READ MORE
Zerg rushRead more in this article about some frequently asked questions and fun facts related to our definitions.
READ MORE

RELATED WORDS

breakneck, hasty, brisk, fast, speedy, expeditious, swift, flying, prompt, express, active, precipitate, ready, fleet, screaming, agile, hurried, lively, mercurial, nimble

Nearby words

  1. raphe of perineum,
  2. raphe of scrotum,
  3. raphia,
  4. raphide,
  5. raphides,
  6. rapid canities,
  7. rapid chess,
  8. rapid city,
  9. rapid deployment force,
  10. rapid eye movement

Origin of rapid

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

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
See also rapids
Derived Formsrapidly, adverbrapidity (rəˈpɪdɪtɪ) or rapidness, noun

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.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper