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 rapid adoption of renewable diesel produced a glut of credits, which reduced the incentives under the program, experts told Bay Area News Group. —Grant Stringer, The Mercury News, 9 Nov. 2024 Axon acknowledges the potential risks associated with its reliance on law enforcement agencies for a significant portion of its revenue, as well as the challenges posed by rapid technological changes and new competing products. —Quartz Bot, Quartz, 8 Nov. 2024
Noun
Another almost fell to their death while the group was hiking after dark along a steep, forested hillside above Class V rapids. —Jayme Moye, Outside Online, 8 Nov. 2024 The rapids stretched for a mile and were known as the chutes. —Curtis Varnell The Timepiece, arkansasonline.com, 27 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 22 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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