Definition of RAPIDLY

Choose the Right Synonym for rapid

Adjective

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: Adjective

China’s rapid technology-sector development was built on workers who were willing to endure a grueling schedule in return for high pay and a shot at becoming the next startup billionaire. — Yoko Kubota And Shan Li, WSJ, "Backlash Brews in China’s Startup Culture Against Grueling Hours," 30 Apr. 2019 Over the course of the two-hour episode, each of the Top 24 contestants took the stage in a rapid-fire series of individual performances, with little commentary from the coaches in-between. — Kelly O'sullivan, Country Living, "Fans Think This 'Voice' Commercial Was Better Than Any of the Top 24 Performances," 30 Apr. 2019 If the first half of Endgame was a long and loving tribute to the original batch of Avengers movies, the second is a rapid-fire reminder of all the characters Marvel introduced in the past five years. — Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, "Let’s Talk About What That Girl Power Moment in Avengers: Endgame Means," 29 Apr. 2019 And such a rapid improvement was particularly crucial for the Colts, who are 7-6 this year with star quarterback Andrew Luck back on the field. — Andrew Beaton, WSJ, "The Modern NFL Is Moving Beyond the ‘Blind Side’ to a New Guard," 13 Dec. 2018 That’s especially the case for Ginn, who has shown rapid improvement in the latter stages of his career. — Steve Reaven, chicagotribune.com, "Boys track notes: Barrington's depth shows in its many state qualifiers," 22 May 2018 The chemical evaporates quickly and can cause drowsiness, dizziness, rapid heartbeat, and headaches, with worse symptoms at higher levels of exposure. — Juan A. Lozano, The Seattle Times, "Environmental, economic damage a concern now that fire out," 26 Mar. 2019 Overdoing it on caffeine can lead to issues like headaches, trouble sleeping, a rapid heartbeat, trembling, and more. — Korin Miller, SELF, "Is Coffee Actually Dehydrating?," 6 Mar. 2019 MoviePass ran into problems after a hefty price reduction led to rapid subscriber growth that placed the company in mortal financial peril. — Jon Porter, The Verge, "MoviePass will launch three new subscription plans in January," 6 Dec. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The rocky portages around the rapids—sometimes as high as 6,000 feet—were strewn with moss and ferns made treacherously slick by the whitewater mist, and often took all day. — Rinker Buck, WSJ, "Venturing Into the Great Northwest," 9 Mar. 2018 How Microsoft navigates the Windows 7 rapids could mean the difference between smooth sailing and users abandoning ship. — Mark Hachman, PCWorld, "Windows 7 will use pop-ups to warn users of the operating system's impending death," 12 Mar. 2019 Frequently, the bows are under water in the rapids. — Popular Mechanics Editors, Popular Mechanics, "The Lost Art of Floating Logs Down the River," 16 Feb. 2019 Grab one or simply float on your own down this series of small rapids in the middle of town. — Brent Crane, Outside Online, "America's Best Swimming Holes," 1 July 2018 Wolf River, Menominee County Rafters in two- or three-person rafts take on a series of rapids ranging from Class II to Class IV on a scenic stretch of the Wolf River in Menominee County. — Chelsey Lewis, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "3 places to go whitewater rafting in Wisconsin," 14 June 2018 In 4th was Nakamura, who had improved his standing from the rapids with his blitz play, but just not enough. — Chris Chase, BostonGlobe.com, "Chess notes," 23 June 2018 The headwaters park is a magnet for rafters and kayakers, with rapids rated from easy to extremely difficult. — Dan Elliott, chicagotribune.com, "Whitewater river in Colorado a bright spot amid grim drought," 21 May 2018 The New River in West Virginia strings together a series of incredible rapids. — Peter Reese, Popular Mechanics, "Five Things to Know Before Running a Wild River," 11 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'rapid.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.