rapid

1 of 2

adjective

rap·​id ˈra-pəd How to pronounce rapid (audio)
Synonyms of rapidnext
: marked by a fast rate of motion, activity, succession, or occurrence
rapidly adverb
rapidness noun

rapid

2 of 2

noun

: a part of a river where the current is fast and the surface is usually broken by obstructions
—usually used in plural but singular or plural in construction

Synonyms

Adjective

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 
Choose the Right Synonym for rapid

fast, rapid, swift, fleet, quick, speedy, hasty, expeditious mean moving, proceeding, or acting with celerity.

fast and rapid are very close in meaning, but fast applies particularly to the thing that moves

fast horses

and rapid to the movement itself.

rapid current

swift suggests great rapidity coupled with ease of movement.

returned the ball with one swift stroke

fleet adds the implication of lightness and nimbleness.

fleet runners

quick suggests promptness and the taking of little time.

a quick wit

speedy implies quickness of successful accomplishment

speedy delivery of mail

and may also suggest unusual velocity.

hasty suggests hurry and precipitousness and often connotes carelessness.

a hasty inspection

expeditious suggests efficiency together with rapidity of accomplishment.

the expeditious handling of an order

Examples of rapid in a Sentence

Adjective There's been rapid growth in the number of new businesses in the town. Scientists are concerned about the rapid disappearance of the island's coral reefs. She carefully guided the boat through the rapid water.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center announced on Wednesday that a new G4-magnitude solar storm is imminent following a recent solar flare and a rapid coronal mass ejection headed toward Earth. —Brandi D. Addison, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024 With the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare, this call to action has never been more critical and urgent today. —Ed Gaudet, Forbes, 22 Nov. 2024
Noun
The chief exception to that in The Last Dance is a pulse-racing sequence in which Strickland’s SWAT team, armed with lots of cool gadgetry, pursues Eddie down whitewater rapids toward a waterfall in a bid to capture Venom. —David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Oct. 2024 Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona The Newlyweds Who Disappeared The Grand Canyon might be best known for its 5,000-foot walls, but the rapids at the bottom of that gorge are huge as well. —Graham Averill, Outside Online, 18 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for rapid 

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

borrowed from French & Latin; French rapide, going back to Middle French, borrowed from Latin rapidus "(of water) flowing violently enough to sweep anything along in its path, swiftly moving, quick," from rapere "to seize and carry off, carry or sweep along" + -idus, adjective suffix; rapere perhaps going back to pre-Latin *rep-, secondary zero-grade from presumed *erp-, going back to Indo-European *h1rp-, zero-grade of a base *h1rep- "seize, pluck," whence also Lithuanian aprė́piu, aprė́pti "to surround, include," Albanian rjep "removes, robs," Greek ereptómenos "feeding on, devouring"

Noun

borrowed from French rapide, noun derivative of rapide, adjective, "swiftly moving, rapid entry 1"

First Known Use

Adjective

1634, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1765, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rapid was in 1634

Phrases Containing rapid

Dictionary Entries Near rapid

Raphus

rapid

rapidamente

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Rapid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rapid. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

rapid

1 of 2 adjective
rap·​id ˈrap-əd How to pronounce rapid (audio)
: very fast
rapidity
rə-ˈpid-ət-ē
ra-
noun
rapidly adverb
rapidness noun

rapid

2 of 2 noun
: a part of a river where the current flows fast usually over rocks
—usually used in plural

More from Merriam-Webster on rapid

Nglish: Translation of rapid for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of rapid for Arabic Speakers

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