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 Park Chung-hee, who was president during South Korea’s rapid economic rise in the 1960s and 1970s, was a Buddhist. — The Economist, "Protestant evangelicals in South Korea wield outsize political power," 28 Nov. 2019 Analysis of language data by Oxford shows the rapid rise of the term from relative obscurity to becoming one of the most prominent – and prominently debated – terms of 2019. — Doyle Rice, USA TODAY, "'Climate emergency' is Oxford Dictionary's word of the year," 22 Nov. 2019 This infectious track allowed the world to see what Petras was ready to serve up and gave her the necessary velocity to begin her rapid rise to stardom. — Billboard Staff, Billboard, "The 50 Best LGBTQ Songs of the 2010s: Staff Picks," 22 Nov. 2019 All-Rookie in 2018-19, silencing doubters with a rapid rise among his draft classmates. — Chris Fedor, cleveland, "Cleveland Cavaliers considering starting lineup change; What could it be?," 21 Nov. 2019 Then there’s Puerto Rican Latin-trap rapper Bad Bunny, who, throughout his rapid rise, has served up a dizzying array of vivid talons. — Vogue, "From David Bowie to A$AP Rocky, the Famous Men Who Have Made Nail Art Their Beauty Signature," 15 Nov. 2019 The 20-year-old has burst onto the scene over the past couple of seasons after surprisingly being allowed to leave Arsenal, and his rapid rise to prominence has seen him hailed as one of the finest young prospects in the world. — SI.com, "90min Predicts the Leading Scorers of the Top European Leagues," 30 Oct. 2019 But Crowther's rapid rise to prominence has also catalyzed a strong and sometimes personal backlash. — Gabriel Popkin, Science | AAAS, "Catchy findings have propelled this young ecologist to fame—and enraged his critics," 24 Oct. 2019 His experimentation with fruit widened, and Gansberg’s vision and commitment to developing the brewery’s sour and barrel-aging program would be widely credited for Cascade’s rapid rise. — Andre Meunier, oregonlive, "For pioneering Cascade, future is anything but sour (but that, too): Portland Breweries Series," 17 Oct. 2019 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun As the rescue team pulled him to safety, the line sagged into the unforgiving rapids a half-dozen times, soaking Mr. Harris. — Christina Goldbaum, New York Times, "Boat Stuck at Niagara Falls Moves for First Time Since 1918," 5 Nov. 2019 The Columbia started to slow and broaden again, the slack water created by the 1957 Dalles Dam, which had buried the old Celilo Falls, a set of rapids where coho and Chinook had been caught with dip nets for thousands of years. — Patrick Symmes, Harper's magazine, "The $68,000 Fish," 28 Oct. 2019 In 2017, the organization built a series of kayaking rapids on a stretch of the Great Miami River adjacent to the downtown RiverScape park to draw people back to the city center. — National Geographic, "Visit America’s newest adventure capital," 22 Aug. 2019 The sheer force of the turbulent rapids and whirlpools are a great reminder of how powerful and transformative the natural world can be. — Outside Online, "The Best Places to Savor Fall in British Columbia," 14 Aug. 2019 The releases form more than 100 rapids on the Gauley, which drops more than 650 feet along its 24-mile route in southern West Virginia. — USA TODAY, "Rare elephant calf, two-headed rattlesnake, another quake off Oregon: News from around our 50 states," 6 Sep. 2019 Lees Ferry serves as the starting point for the distinctly different Grand Canyon rafting trips, journeys filled with the roar of rapids and whitewater thrills. — Roger Naylor, azcentral, "Now you can kayak Arizona's famous Horseshoe Bend. Here's how.," 5 Sep. 2019 Water attractions include a wave pool, slides, rapids experiences and extreme rides like the Bahama Blaster and Bonzai Pipelines. — Arizona Republic, azcentral, "Summer in Arizona: Locals share 100 fun ways to survive the 100-degree heat in Phoenix," 1 July 2019 Nothing cools off a boiling issue—such as immigration—like taking a spill in some hefty river rapids. — Mary Anne Potts, National Geographic, "Exploring the Rio Grande by horse, canoe, and mountain bike—before a wall," 17 June 2019

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.