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
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characterized by high speed
rapid movement
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acting or moving quickly; fast
a rapid worker
Synonym Usage
See quick.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of rapid
First recorded in 1625–35, rapid is from the Latin word rapidus “tearing away, seizing, swift”; see rape 1, -id 4
Explanation
Rapid means happening with great speed or in a brief period of time. Think of Rapid Eye Movement (REM sleep), when your eyes are darting back and forth quickly — trying to follow your fast-paced dreams. Rapid comes from the Latin word rapere, which means "to hurry away" or "to seize." If you are first to raise your hand in class with the correct answer, your teacher will be pleased with your rapid response. Your pulse may be rapid after you run a quick sprint, and after a rapid run-up in the stock market you may decide to sell some shares and lock in the profit.
Vocabulary lists containing rapid
Name On: Pro Sports Team Names, Part 2
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A Need for Speed: Synonyms for "Fast"
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Beowulf vocabulary
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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.
See Examples For:
By combining rapid observations with the ability to detect different forms of radiation, Swift became a valuable tool for exploring both distant cosmic explosions and nearby objects.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 6, 2026
The rapid fall has come as a shock to Germany, a nation that has regarded itself as a key player ever since Carl Benz invented the motor car in 1886.
From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026
A reorganization of Sequoia Capital was intended to make the storied venture firm “able to play offense” in a world of rapid, AI-driven change, partner Pat Grady said at the WSJ Tech conference Wednesday.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
TfW's flagship scheme to transform an old Victorian railway into a turn-up-and-go rapid transit service, similar to the London Underground and Manchester Metrolink, is Wales' single-biggest infrastructure project since devolution in 1999.
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026
There were rapid footsteps on the stairs, followed by a loud banging at the door and a delirious burst of Italian.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
In the shallow streamlet of her lowly life the waters might have glided on, slow but smoothly, had he not taught them to be ambitious of a rapider, grander course.
From The American Senator by Anthony Trollope
To overwrought nerves as were hers, the announcement was rapider in its effect than a microbe.
From Eden An Episode by Edgar Saltus
That sort of thing came to the Roman Empire slowly, in the course of lifetimes, but nowadays we lived in a rapider world—with flimsier institutions.
From Mr. Britling Sees It Through by H. G. (Herbert George) Wells
“The ’80s in Korea was when we had the rapidest growth ever,” says Lee.
From Seattle Times ● May 20, 2022
He had come to Sagan "by almost the rapidest marches ever heard of,"—or ever till some others of Henri's own, which he made in that neighborhood soon.
From History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 19 by Thomas Carlyle
And is by nature the rapidest soul now alive.
From History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 18 by Thomas Carlyle
What an audience! the rapidest, subtlest, wittiest, down to the very cobblers and tinkers, the world has ever seen.
From Literary and General Lectures and Essays by Charles Kingsley
What an audience—the rapidest, subtlest, wittiest, down to the very cobblers and tinkers, the world has ever seen.
From Lectures Delivered in America in 1874 by Charles Kingsley
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
