rapid

[ rap-id ]

/ ˈræp ɪd /

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See synonyms for: rapid / rapids / rapidly 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.

QUIZZES

QUIZ YOURSELF ON “THEIR,” “THERE,” AND “THEY’RE”

Are you aware how often people swap around “their,” “there,” and “they’re”? Prove you have more than a fair grasp over these commonly confused words.

Question 1 of 7

Which one of these commonly confused words can act as an adverb or a pronoun?

their

there

they're

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of rapid

First recorded in 1625–35, rapid is from the Latin word rapidus “tearing away, seizing, swift”; see rape¹, -id⁴

synonym study for rapid

2. See quick.

OTHER WORDS FROM rapid

rap·id·ly, adverbul·tra·rap·id, adjective

Words nearby rapid

raphe of perineum, raphe of scrotum, raphia, raphide, raphides, rapid, Rapidan, rapid canities, rapid chess, Rapid City, Rapid Deployment Force

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for rapid

This is a rapid rise water that rushes onshore, sweeping away trees, cars and almost anything else in its path.
Soggy coastal soils? Here’s why ecologists love them|Alison Pearce Stevens|September 17, 2020|Science News For Students
A worried friend drove her to the emergency room to get checked out for a rapid heartbeat.
The Woman Propositioned by Alaska’s Former Lieutenant Governor Tells Her Story for the First Time|by Kyle Hopkins and Michelle Theriault Boots, Anchorage Daily News|September 10, 2020|ProPublica
Vaccine development, rapid testing, and widely available protective gear all have important roles to play in saving lives and getting the economy back on its feet.
Times of strife can lead to medical innovation—when governments are willing|By Jeffrey Clemens/The Conversation|September 9, 2020|Popular Science
The six-part series starts in Manchester, England in 2019 and follows the Deacon family over the next 15 years as Britain is rocked by a period of rapid technological, political and economic changes.
FROM THE VAULTS: The opposite of binge-watching|Brian T. Carney|September 4, 2020|Washington Blade

You can also reach Broad Ripple by the new Red Line rapid transit bus line.
Escape to Indy for a weekend getaway|Bill Malcolm|September 4, 2020|Washington Blade
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
That indicated a relatively rapid increase in methane, followed by an equally fast decrease.
Methane on Mars: Life or Just Gas?|Matthew R. Francis|December 17, 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
These sections also have vibrations of their own which are of shorter length and more rapid motion.
Expressive Voice Culture|Jessie Eldridge Southwick
The rapid spread of the revolt was not a whit less marvelous than its lack of method or cohesion.
The Red Year|Louis Tracy
It also occurs in diseases with extensive and rapid destruction of red blood-corpuscles.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
Everything showed a rapid flight; even the would-be dinner of the guerrillas was found half cooked.
The Courier of the Ozarks|Byron A. Dunn
The attempt failed, and was followed by a rapid succession of miscellaneous thrusts and passes in bewildering variety.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills

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

Derived forms of rapid

rapidly, 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

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rapid

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

noun

QUIZZES

QUIZ YOURSELF ON “THEIR,” “THERE,” AND “THEY’RE”

Origin of rapid

synonym study for rapid

OTHER WORDS FROM rapid

Words nearby rapid

Example sentences from the Web for rapid

British Dictionary definitions for rapid

adjective

Derived forms of rapid

Word Origin for rapid

MEANINGS

WORD GAMES

LEARN

WRITING

WORD OF THE DAY

rapid

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

noun

QUIZZES

QUIZ YOURSELF ON “THEIR,” “THERE,” AND “THEY’RE”

Origin of rapid

synonym study for rapid

OTHER WORDS FROM rapid

Words nearby rapid

Words related to rapid

Example sentences from the Web for rapid

British Dictionary definitions for rapid

adjective

Derived forms of rapid

Word Origin for rapid