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Synonyms

rash

1 American  
[rash] / ræʃ /

adjective

rasher, rashest
  1. acting or tending to act too hastily or without due consideration.

    Synonyms:
    foolhardy, indiscreet, precipitate, incautious, venturous, reckless, impetuous, hasty
    Antonyms:
    cautious
  2. characterized by or showing too great haste or lack of consideration.

    rash promises.


rash 2 American  
[rash] / ræʃ /

noun

  1. an eruption or efflorescence on the skin.

  2. a multitude of instances of something occurring more or less during the same period of time.

    a rash of robberies last month.


rash 1 British  
/ ræʃ /

adjective

  1. acting without due consideration or thought; impetuous

  2. characterized by or resulting from excessive haste or impetuosity

    a rash word

"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

rash 2 British  
/ ræʃ /

noun

  1. pathol any skin eruption

  2. a series of unpleasant and unexpected occurrences

    a rash of forest fires

"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

Usage

What does rash mean? Rash describes acting too quickly and without proper planning, as in James was rash when he decided to quit his job after just one hard day.Rash also describes a great haste or a lack of consideration, such as Sahad avoided making rash decisions by doing a lot of research first. A rash is a skin condition, such as bumps or a red area, like you might get if you touch poison ivy.A rash is also several instances of something that occur at the same or nearly the same time, such as a rash of snowstorms over a week or a rash of electronic sales during the winter holidays.Example: He always jumps head first into rash decisions, but sometimes it works out.

Other Word Forms

  • rashlike adjective
  • rashly adverb
  • rashness noun

Etymology

Origin of rash1

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; cognate with Dutch, German rasch “quick, brisk,” Old Norse rǫskr “brave”

Origin of rash2

1700–10; < French rache (obsolete), Old French rasche skin eruption, derivative of raschier to scratch, ultimately < Latin rādere to scratch

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.

Common symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose or red eyes, as well as a rash.

From Los Angeles Times

A blotchy red or brown rash usually appears after a few days, typically behind the ears and on the face, before spreading.

From BBC

Aside from the telltale rash, measles symptoms can include high fever, cough and red, watery eyes.

From Los Angeles Times

These loans helped to exacerbate the effects of the stock-market rash and Great Depression.

From MarketWatch

People should monitor their symptoms and watch for a fever and/or a rash for up to 21 days after exposure.

From Los Angeles Times