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.
Beijing has come under pressure from major trading partners to let the yuan strengthen rapidly in a bid to help rebalance trade surpluses by making Chinese exports less competitive.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026
Before jumping to conclusions, here’s what The Moneyist suggests he do first, and how to deal with a parent’s rapidly declining acumen.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 2, 2026
"Nowadays it's very typical that all kinds of vulnerabilities are being exploited ever more actively and rapidly."
From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026
When one of these neutrinos interacts with the ice, it can produce a rapidly moving electron or muon.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 2, 2026
Her eyes were moist, and she was blinking rapidly.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
