rapid

[rap-id]

See more synonyms for rapid on Thesaurus.com

adjective, sometimes rap·id·er, rap·id·est.

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

Usually rapids. a part of a river where the current runs very swiftly.

Origin of rapid

First recorded in 1625–35, rapid is from the Latin word rapidus tearing away, seizing, swift. See rape¹, -id⁴

Related formsrap·id·ly, adverbul·tra·rap·id, adjectiveul·tra·rap·id·ly, adverb

Can be confusedfast quick rapid swift (see synonym study at quick)

Synonyms for rapid

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2. See quick.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for rapids

river, rapine, whitewater

Examples from the Web for rapids

Contemporary Examples of rapids

Halfway down the river, as they headed toward the rapids, the security line broke, and they were headed for some rocks.
The Stacks: Mr. Bad Taste and Trouble Himself: Robert Mitchum
Robert Ward
July 19, 2014
Just one more note of caution before we descend down the rapids of morality and ethics.
Never Forget? The CIA Report and the Problem With Hindsight
Philip Mudd
March 15, 2014
What will he tell his kids about what we can expect from our leaders as we navigate the rapids of world problems?
Citizen Affleck
Pat O'Brien
March 30, 2009

Historical Examples of rapids

There was no time to examine the rapids before we shot them.
The Long Labrador Trail
Dillon Wallace
The rapids continued the characteristic of the river and were terrific.
The Long Labrador Trail
Dillon Wallace
There are, however, in this distance but two rapids necessitating portages.
The Long Labrador Trail
Dillon Wallace
At the foot of “The Rapids” the effect of the spring tides is barely perceptible.
The Long Labrador Trail
Dillon Wallace
The first rapids in the Red River are said to be eight miles above its mouth.
The Long Labrador Trail
Dillon Wallace

British Dictionary definitions for rapids

rapids

pl n

part of a river where the current is very fast and turbulent

rapid

adjective

(of an action or movement) performed or occurring during a short interval of time; quicka rapid transformation
characterized by high speedrapid movement
acting or moving quickly; fasta rapid worker

Word Origin for rapid

C17: from Latin rapidus tearing away, from rapere to seize; see rape 1

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for rapids

1765, from French rapides (see rapid); applied by French voyagers to rough, swift-flowing reaches in North American rivers.

rapid

adj.

1630s, "moving quickly," from French rapide (17c.) and directly from Latin rapidus "hasty, swift, rapid; snatching; fierce, impetuous," from rapere "hurry away, carry off, seize, plunder," from PIE root *rep- "to snatch" (cf. Greek ereptomai "devour," harpazein "snatch away," Lithuanian raples "tongs"). Meaning "happening in a short time" is from 1780. Related: Rapidly; rapidness. Rapid-transit first attested 1852, in reference to street railways; rapid eye movement is from 1906.