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
-
characterized by high speed
rapid movement
-
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”; rape 1, -id 4
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.
In one of the greatest breakthroughs of the 20th Century, he identified the double-helix structure of DNA in 1953 alongside British scientist Francis Crick, setting the stage for rapid advances in molecular biology.
From BBC
Jayawardhana acknowledged the federal funding challenges facing Caltech and other major research institutions, as well as rapid developments in artificial intelligence and other technological advancements that are changing the higher education landscape.
From Los Angeles Times
He was a rapid left-winger in the 1990s and 2000s who won the Premier League with Blackburn Rovers before moving to Leeds United.
From BBC
The investment underscores the rapid growth in the Indian entertainment industry.
From Los Angeles Times
The messages you’re most likely to see are the most negative and bombastic, because they’re most likely to receive rapid “likes” and “reposts”—and that drives revenue for social media content creators.
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.
