rapid

[ rap-id ]

/ ˈræp ɪd /

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.

RELATED WORDS

river, rapine, whitewater

Nearby words

Origin of rapid

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

SYNONYMS FOR rapid

2. See quick.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR rapid ON THESAURUS.COM

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)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for 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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
The rapids are 11 miles long, with successive ridges and shoals extending from shore to shore.
The Expeditions of Zebulon Montgomery Pike, Volume I (of 3)|Elliott Coues

All rapids differ, and of course in a big river there may be a dozen different chutes.
The Young Alaskans on the Trail|Emerson Hough
The wise bear deserted the ship in the midst of the rapids and swam ashore.
America, Volume IV (of 6)|Joel Cook
The salmon go over a hundred miles up to the McCloud River to spawn, and will jump or leap up small falls or rapids in their way.
Stories of California|Ella M. Sexton
On this point stands the small town of Shippingsport, at the foot of the rapids.
Early Western Travels 1748-1846, Volume XIV|Edwin James

British Dictionary definitions for rapids

rapids

/ (ˈræpɪdz) /

pl n

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

rapid

/ (ˈræpɪd) /

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

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.