rapid-fire

adjective

rap·​id-fire ˌra-pəd-ˈfī(-ə)r 

1

: firing or adapted for firing shots in rapid succession

2

: marked by rapidity, liveliness, or sharpness

a comedian with a rapid-fire delivery

Synonyms of rapid-fire

• rapid
• brisk
• quick
• fast
• galloping

Examples of rapid-fire in a Sentence

the witness stayed unruffled all through the prosecutor's rapid-fire questioning

Recent Examples on the Web

The backstory Virgin Hotels New York is the seventh hotel in the Virgin Hotels group, the latest in a slate of rapid-fire post-pandemic openings in New Orleans, Las Vegas, Nashville, and Edinburgh. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Mar. 2026

This question, about the ending of the Throne of Glass series and the sacrifice made by the character Aelin, prompted one of Maas’s more reflective answers of the rapid-fire segment. —Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 5 Mar. 2026

Fan Theories Addressed, Teased, and Dodged The back portion of the interview featured a rapid-fire segment where Cooper fired off longstanding fan questions about all of Maas’s series. —Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2026

Analysts emphasize that compact MRBMs like this can be moved, hidden, and fired from multiple platforms, forcing defenders to respond with costly, rapid-fire shots. —Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 3 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1890, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for rapid-fire

• acquire
• attire
• bonfire
• campfire
• ceasefire
• conspire
• desire
• enquire
• entire
• greenbrier
• gunfire
• homebuyer

Kids Definition

rapid-fire

adjective

rap·​id-fire

ˌrap-əd-ˈfī(ə)r

1

: able to fire shots rapidly

a rapid-fire weapon

2

: marked by a rapid rate or pace

spoke rapid-fire Spanish