: marked by a fast rate of motion, activity, succession, or occurrence
rapidly
adverb
rapidness
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
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
Bastian Benrath, Fortune Europe, 4 Apr. 2024
Although there is growing recognition within the AI industry that more safeguards are needed, the technology’s rapid development — including newer text-to-video tools like OpenAI’s Sora — worries some experts.
—Brian Cheung, NBC News, 4 Apr. 2024
Global sea levels are also on the rise, driven mainly by the rapid melting of ice sheets and glaciers.
—Ritu Prasad, CNN, 4 Apr. 2024
The facility's strategic location near Bordeaux facilitates efficient battery distribution across Europe and North America, ensuring that Vision Marine and its clients benefit from rapid delivery and support services.
—Kansas City Star, 3 Apr. 2024
Children who are abused earlier in life, typically before puberty—such as Kevin—show greater emotional dysregulation, weaker control over their thoughts and actions, and more rapid biological aging.
—Marc D. Hauser, TIME, 3 Apr. 2024
Earthquakes’ sudden, rapid shaking can cause fires, tsunamis, landslides or avalanches.
—Don Sweeney, Sacramento Bee, 3 Apr. 2024
As private investment is generally more productive than that of state companies, its expanding share of total investment was critical to China’s rapid growth over this period.
—Nicholas R. Lardy, Foreign Affairs, 2 Apr. 2024
The group’s rapid capture of large swaths of Iraq and Syria in 2014 shocked the world.
—Victoria Bisset, Washington Post, 23 Mar. 2024
USA TODAY, 30 Jan. 2024
The river, its banks, and its gradient are transforming so fast that boater informational guides can’t keep up with new beaches forming and old ones slumping away, temporary rapids created from mud moving downstream, and historic rapids resurrecting.
—Cassidy Randall, Rolling Stone, 18 Feb. 2024
Per the official synopsis, once the group become stranded in raging rapids, the thrill-seeking trip quickly turns from exciting to utterly terrifying as the rafters are trapped in a desperate fight for their lives, all while someone seems intent on sabotage to ensure shocking secrets stay buried.
—Lauren Huff, EW.com, 13 July 2023
Just upstream of Glen Canyon, 65 percent of Cataract Canyon was also flooded, and many of its fearsome rapids disappeared.
—Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Jan. 2024
Two years ago, science journalist Melissa Sevigny retraced their adventure, whitewater rafting the same rapids and sleeping under the stars to learn more about who these women were—and why their work still influences the scientific landscape of America today.
—Shraddha Chowdhury, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Nov. 2023
The water was plenty cold, but not too high, making the rapids more manageable.
—Billy Baker, BostonGlobe.com, 28 Apr. 2023
Inexperienced paddlers should stick to calm water without a lot of rapids.
—Matthew Every, Field & Stream, 14 Dec. 2023
On the other side of the globe last week, winding Hong Kong streets became surging rapids.
—Theodora Yu, Washington Post, 14 Sep. 2023
Adjective
Yet the rapid evaporation of confidence in Credit Suisse after a string of missteps and losses, and its subsequent emergency rescue by UBS, has dented that previous consensus.
—Bastian Benrath, Fortune Europe, 4 Apr. 2024
Although there is growing recognition within the AI industry that more safeguards are needed, the technology’s rapid development — including newer text-to-video tools like OpenAI’s Sora — worries some experts.
—Brian Cheung, NBC News, 4 Apr. 2024
Global sea levels are also on the rise, driven mainly by the rapid melting of ice sheets and glaciers.
—Ritu Prasad, CNN, 4 Apr. 2024
The facility's strategic location near Bordeaux facilitates efficient battery distribution across Europe and North America, ensuring that Vision Marine and its clients benefit from rapid delivery and support services.
—Kansas City Star, 3 Apr. 2024
Children who are abused earlier in life, typically before puberty—such as Kevin—show greater emotional dysregulation, weaker control over their thoughts and actions, and more rapid biological aging.
—Marc D. Hauser, TIME, 3 Apr. 2024
Earthquakes’ sudden, rapid shaking can cause fires, tsunamis, landslides or avalanches.
—Don Sweeney, Sacramento Bee, 3 Apr. 2024
As private investment is generally more productive than that of state companies, its expanding share of total investment was critical to China’s rapid growth over this period.
—Nicholas R. Lardy, Foreign Affairs, 2 Apr. 2024
The group’s rapid capture of large swaths of Iraq and Syria in 2014 shocked the world.
—Victoria Bisset, Washington Post, 23 Mar. 2024
Noun
National Geographic also recommends road-tripping on Route 66 through New Mexico, catching the total solar eclipse on April 8 at Terrapin Point in Niagara Falls State Park, antiquing in New York's Hudson Valley and rafting through the rapids in West Virginia's New River.
—USA TODAY, 30 Jan. 2024
The river, its banks, and its gradient are transforming so fast that boater informational guides can’t keep up with new beaches forming and old ones slumping away, temporary rapids created from mud moving downstream, and historic rapids resurrecting.
—Cassidy Randall, Rolling Stone, 18 Feb. 2024
Per the official synopsis, once the group become stranded in raging rapids, the thrill-seeking trip quickly turns from exciting to utterly terrifying as the rafters are trapped in a desperate fight for their lives, all while someone seems intent on sabotage to ensure shocking secrets stay buried.
—Lauren Huff, EW.com, 13 July 2023
Just upstream of Glen Canyon, 65 percent of Cataract Canyon was also flooded, and many of its fearsome rapids disappeared.
—Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Jan. 2024
Two years ago, science journalist Melissa Sevigny retraced their adventure, whitewater rafting the same rapids and sleeping under the stars to learn more about who these women were—and why their work still influences the scientific landscape of America today.
—Shraddha Chowdhury, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Nov. 2023
The water was plenty cold, but not too high, making the rapids more manageable.
—Billy Baker, BostonGlobe.com, 28 Apr. 2023
Inexperienced paddlers should stick to calm water without a lot of rapids.
—Matthew Every, Field & Stream, 14 Dec. 2023
On the other side of the globe last week, winding Hong Kong streets became surging rapids.
—Theodora Yu, Washington Post, 14 Sep. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rapid.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near rapid
Cite this Entry
“Rapid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rapid. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
rapid
1 of 2 adjective
rap·id
ˈrap-əd 
: very fast
rapidity
noun
rə-ˈpid-ət-ē
ra-
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
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