rapid-fire

adjective

rap·​id-fire ˌra-pəd-ˈfī(-ə)r How to pronounce rapid-fire (audio)
Synonyms of rapid-firenext
1
: firing or adapted for firing shots in rapid succession
2
: marked by rapidity, liveliness, or sharpness
a comedian with a rapid-fire delivery

Examples of rapid-fire in a Sentence

the witness stayed unruffled all through the prosecutor's rapid-fire questioning
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.
While promoting his new film Marty Supreme in London, Chalamet partook in a rapid-fire Q&A session hosted by director Richard Curtis. Hannah Malach, InStyle, 5 Feb. 2026 The rapid-fire trade deadline version of this, however, is that, in a salary-dump trade, teams will waive the physical and reporting requirements and certify the trade is completed immediately after the trade call with the league. John Hollinger, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026 Astrocytes do not engage in the rapid-fire signaling typical of neurons at synapses. Ingrid Wickelgren, Quanta Magazine, 30 Jan. 2026 The rapid-fire announcement of Grammy performers continues as Tyler, the Creator and Rose, both of whom were honored at Variety’s 2025 Hitmakers event in December, will perform at the show on Sunday (not together). Jem Aswad, Variety, 29 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rapid-fire

Word History

First Known Use

1890, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of rapid-fire was in 1890

Cite this Entry

“Rapid-fire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rapid-fire. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.

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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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