rapidly
Americanadverb
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within a short period of time.
There are thousands of languages spoken in the world today, but many of them are rapidly approaching obsolescence and extinction.
-
with great speed; swiftly.
Bats are more likely than birds to detect rapidly spinning turbine blades and avoid flying into them.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of rapidly
Explanation
When you do something rapidly, you do it very quickly. A rapidly moving train is going at full speed. You may notice that the grass in your yard grows rapidly during the rainy summer days and more slowly when there's a heat wave. You might also get a speeding ticket for driving too rapidly in a school zone. In either case, something's happening fast. The adverb rapidly comes from the adjective rapid, "moving quickly," with the Latin root rapidus, "hasty, swift, fierce, or impetuous."
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.
Pope Leo XIV recently addressed the social and ethical challenges around artificial intelligence as new technologies rapidly advance.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 30, 2026
Native to temporary freshwater pools in the African savanna, these brightly colored fish have extremely short lifespans and develop many age-related problems rapidly, making them ideal for aging research.
From Science Daily • May 29, 2026
The bullish case for SLB looks ahead to a postconflict scenario in which stability in the region will lead its energy customers to rapidly rebuild production capacity and invest in its next-generation energy technologies.
From Barron's • May 28, 2026
In June 2023, London warmed rapidly from 23C on 8 June to 31C by 10 June, coinciding with a period when UK sea surface temperatures were 3–5 C above average.
From BBC • May 28, 2026
That six-year-old Bobby was beating thirty-six-year-old Regina and eleven-year-old Joan, as brilliant as both were, is significant in understanding his rapidly evolving mastery of chess, and himself.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
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.
