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Synonyms

rapidly

American  
[rap-id-lee] / ˈræp ɪd li /

adverb

  1. 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.

  2. with great speed; swiftly.

    Bats are more likely than birds to detect rapidly spinning turbine blades and avoid flying into them.


Other Word Forms

  • ultrarapidly adverb

Etymology

Origin of rapidly

rapid ( def. ) + -ly

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.

Block expanded rapidly during the pandemic, as it built out its Cash App business alongside Square.

From The Wall Street Journal

The researchers propose that this mechanism provides an effective solution for very large embryonic cells that divide rapidly and cannot rely on the conventional model.

From Science Daily

He adds, "In the USA alone, tens of thousands of people die every year from antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections, and that number is rising rapidly. We need new antibiotics to combat this."

From Science Daily

As a new agency staffing up rapidly, DHS wanted to hire people fast.

From Salon

For Paramount, sealing the deal, even at such a high price, may have been less of a choice than a necessity if it wants to survive in a rapidly changing media landscape.

From MarketWatch