rap

1 of 6

noun (1)

ˈrap 

1

: a sharp blow or knock

2

a

: a sharp rebuke or criticism

b

: a negative and often undeserved reputation or charge

—often used with bum or bad

given a bum rap by the press

3

a

: the responsibility for or adverse consequences of an action

refused to take the rap

b

: a criminal charge

c

: a prison sentence

rap

2 of 6

verb (1)

rapped; rapping; raps

transitive verb

1

: to strike with a sharp blow

2

: to utter suddenly and forcibly

3

: to cause to be or come by raps

rap the meeting to order

4

: to criticize sharply

intransitive verb

1

: to strike a quick sharp blow

2

: to make a short sharp sound

rap

3 of 6

verb (2)

rapped also rapt ˈrapt  ; rapping; raps

transitive verb

1

: to snatch away or upward

2

: enrapture

rap

4 of 6

noun (2)

: a minimum amount or degree (as of care or consideration) : the least bit

doesn't care a rap

rap

5 of 6

noun (3)

1

: talk, conversation

also : a line of talk : patter

2

a

or rap music : a type of music of African American origin in which rhythmic and usually rhyming speech is chanted to a musical accompaniment

enjoys listening to rap

—often used before another noun

rap music

a rap album/artist/song

b

: a rap song

… the group mixes its usual raunch with mock news reports and anti-censorship raps …

—Jon Pareles

rap

6 of 6

verb (3)

rapped; rapping; raps

1

intransitive : to talk freely and frankly

… at a party rapping with a guy about music you love …

—Lisa Lombardi

2

transitive + intransitive : to perform rap music

Does it feel strange to rap solo after being part of a big group like Harlem Spartans?

—Kyann-Sian Williams

She [Cardi B] encouraged the crowd while her husband [Offset] rapped his verse before she returned the favour and finished the song.

—Jonathan Landrum Jr.

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• charge
• complaint
• count
• indictment

Verb (1)

• bang
• bash
• bat
• belt
• biff
• bludgeon
• bob
• bonk
• bop
• box
• bust
• clap
• clip
• clobber
• clock
• clout
• crack
• hammer
• hit
• knock
• nail
• paste
• pound
• punch
• slam
• slap
• slog
• slug
• smack
• smite
• sock
• strike
• swat
• swipe
• tag
• thump
• thwack
• wallop
• whack
• whale
• zap

Verb (2)

• carry away
• enrapture
• enthrall
• enthral
• entrance
• rapture
• ravish
• transport

Noun (2)

• beans
• bubkes
• bupkes
• bupkus
• continental
• damn
• darn
• durn
• diddly [slang]
• diddly-squat [slang]
• doodley-squat
• doodly-squat
• fig
• ghost
• hoot
• iota
• jot
• lick
• modicum
• squat [slang]
• syllable
• tittle
• whit
• whoop

Noun (3)

• backchat
• cackle
• causerie
• chat
• chatter
• chin music
• chin-wag [slang]
• chitchat
• confab
• confabulation
• gab
• gabfest
• gossip
• jangle
• jaw
• natter [chiefly British]
• palaver
• patter
• schmooze
• small talk
• table talk
• talk
• tête-à-tête

Verb (3)

• babble
• blab
• cackle
• chaffer [British]
• chat
• chatter
• chin [slang]
• converse
• gab
• gabble
• gas
• jabber
• jaw
• kibitz
• kibbitz
• natter
• palaver
• patter
• prate
• prattle
• rattle
• run on
• schmooze
• shmooze
• talk
• twitter
• visit

Examples of rap in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

By now, Nicki Minaj was one of the most famous musicians on Earth, and most of the major rap capitals seemed to be producing their own female rap stars. —Liz Sanchez, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024

Longtime New York radio personality DJ Mister Cee, who became a staple in hip-hop by working with rap greats like Big Daddy Kane and The Notorious B.I.G, has died, according to former workplace, HOT 97. —Kimi Robinson, USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2024

And because Cowboy Carter is also a multi-genre affair, songs could be submitted to fields other than country, including in the American roots, folk, rock, pop, R&B and rap fields. —Mesfin Fekadu, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Apr. 2024

Together, the three of them are considered to be among rap’s current elite, a claim Lamar took issue with. —Jason Parham, WIRED, 9 Apr. 2024

While many of his peers focus heavily on catchy melodies and adhere to certain timely trends, Stormy focuses on the very essence of rap music. —Danny Hajjar, SPIN, 9 Apr. 2024

Since then, on projects like 2021’s Fat Niggas Need Love Too, he’s become am indelible, hilarious figure in the Michigan rap scene. —Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 8 Apr. 2024

Ford is a multi-platinum artist from Georgia known for his contributions to both the country and rap music genres. —Dan Heching, CNN, 6 Apr. 2024

As one of the leading figures of the ‘90s and ‘00s rap movement in Puerto Rico, Tempo gained notoriety with his raw rap bars and tiraeras, and later became one of the first Latin rappers to sign a record deal with Sony Music Latin. —Griselda Flores, Billboard, 5 Apr. 2024

Verb

Conflict is certainly in the genre’s DNA; ever since the advent of battle rapping in the early 1980s, hip-hop’s titans have forged their reputation in the heat of lyrical warfare. —Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2024

In the song, Beyoncé raps alongside Shaboozey, a country hip hop artist, in a frenzied, genre-bending track that challenges: Could this be country, too? —Leah Asmelash, CNN, 5 Apr. 2024

Researchers attributed this trend to rap songs’ tendency to repeat lines and rhymes. —Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024

The idea that rapping this stylized could be used as anything other than proof of Young Thug’s musical ingenuity is a total farce. —Chris Richards, Washington Post, 27 Mar. 2024

In fact, neither artist rapped, sang or spoke during the performance, which took place during the annual hip-hop festival’s opening night. —Dave Brooks, Billboard, 15 Mar. 2024

In the song, Bey proceeds to lean into rapping as much as singing. —Lisa Respers France, CNN, 29 Mar. 2024

In less than two years, Daniels’ often-cringe, always-funny, sometimes-annoying videos singing to, rapping for, and dancing off with the likes of DJ Khaled, Kendall Jenner, Gypsy Rose Blanchard, and Charli XCX have built Daniels a following of nearly 1 million on TikTok alone. —Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 28 Mar. 2024

Awesome Tapes From Africa at Showtime Since 2006, Awesome Tapes From Africa has been a rewarding way to discover and immerse yourself in sounds from across the African continent, whether griots from Mali, rap from Niger or traditional songs from Sudan. —Chris Kelly, Washington Post, 28 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English rappe

Verb (2)

back-formation from rapt

Noun (2)

perhaps from rap entry 1

Verb (3)

perhaps from rap entry 1

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Verb (2)

1599, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1834, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

1787, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (3)

1929, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing rap

• a rap on/over/across the knuckles
• beat the rap
• bum rap
• gangsta rap
• given a bum rap
• gotten a bum rap
• rap music
• rap session
• rap sheet
• rap (someone) on/over/across the knuckles
• rap someone's knuckles
• the rap
• took the rap

Kids Definition

rap

1 of 5 noun

ˈrap 

1

: a sharp blow or knock

2

a

: a sharp criticism

b

: a bad reputation that is often not deserved

given a bad rap

3

a

: the blame for or unfavorable consequences of an action

took the rap

b

: a criminal charge

a murder rap

rap

2 of 5 verb

rapped; rapping

1

: to give a quick sharp blow : knock

2

: to utter suddenly with force

rap

3 of 5 noun

: the least bit

doesn't care a rap

rap

4 of 5 verb

rapped; rapping

1

: to talk freely and frankly

2

: to perform rap

rap

5 of 5 noun

1

: an informal talk : chat, conversation

also : a line of talk : patter

2

a

: a rhythmic chanting often in unison of usually rhymed couplets to a musical accompaniment

b

: a musical piece so performed

Etymology

Noun

Middle English rappe "a hard blow"