rash

noun

\ ˈrash

Definition of rash

(Entry 1 of 3)

1 : an eruption on the body

2 : a large number of instances in a short period a rash of complaints

rash

adjective

Definition of rash (Entry 2 of 3)

1 : marked by or proceeding from undue haste or lack of deliberation or caution a rash promise

2 obsolete : quickly effective

rash

adverb

Definition of rash (Entry 3 of 3)

archaic

: in a rash manner

Other Words from rash Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about rash

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Choose the Right Synonym for rash

Adjective

adventurous, venturesome, daring, daredevil, rash, reckless, foolhardy mean exposing oneself to danger more than required by good sense. adventurous implies a willingness to accept risks but not necessarily imprudence. adventurous pioneers venturesome implies a jaunty eagerness for perilous undertakings. venturesome stunt pilots daring implies fearlessness in courting danger. daring mountain climbers daredevil stresses ostentation in daring. daredevil motorcyclists rash suggests imprudence and lack of forethought. a rash decision reckless implies heedlessness of probable consequences. a reckless driver foolhardy suggests a recklessness that is inconsistent with good sense. the foolhardy sailor ventured into the storm

Did You Know?

Adjective

The earliest known uses of "rash" (then spelled "rasch") occur in a northern dialect of 15th-century Middle English. Its earlier origins are not known for sure, though it is clearly related to a number of similar words in the Germanic languages, including Old High German rasc ("fast, hurried, strong, clever"), Old Norse "röskr" ("brave, vigorous"), and Middle Dutch "rasch" ("quick, nimble, agile, vigorous"). It is not, however, related to the English noun "rash" ("an eruption on the body," as in a "skin rash"). The noun "rash," which first appeared in English in the 1700s, comes by way of French and Vulgar Latin from Latin rasus, the past participle of "radere" ("to scrape" or "to shave").

Examples of rash in a Sentence

Noun

The baby has a skin rash. The doctor said she developed the rash because of the medicine. I break out in a rash if I eat shellfish. Symptoms of the disease include rash and fever. There has been a rash of robberies in the city this summer.

Adjective

Their rash actions resulted in a serious accident that could have killed someone. Don't be rash about this decision. Take your time. It was rash of you to make that promise.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Drew and the Cavs parted ways Thursday after a challenging, 19-win season that followed LeBron James leaving for Los Angeles and included a rash of injuries to a young roster. — Tom Withers, The Seattle Times, "Cavs begin coaching search after parting ways with Drew," 12 Apr. 2019 West Nile is a mosquito-borne illness which typically causes headaches, body aches, vomiting, diarrhea, or a rash, among other side effects, though most people don’t experience any symptoms of the virus. — Madeline Farber, Fox News, "West Nile virus cause of New Jersey man's death, health officials say," 21 Sep. 2018 Opt for a wetsuit over a traditional bathing suit to stay relatively warmer into September and more protected from the sun, surfboard rash, and even jellyfish. — Mara Balagtas, Condé Nast Traveler, "Our 10 Favorite Wetsuits for the Dog Days of Summer," 9 Aug. 2018 After a mission trip in Florida, the 17-year-old came home with bumps that then spread into a red, itchy rash. — Caitlin Wolper, Teen Vogue, "Hookworms Buried Themselves Into a Tennessee Teen's Skin," 28 July 2018 Symptoms of Rocky Mountain spotted fever Early signs and symptoms of the infection are similar to other illnesses and include fever, headache, rash, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, muscle pain, and lack of appetite. — CBS News, "Latest death shines light on tick-borne disease Rocky Mountain spotted fever," 12 July 2018 This can cause fever, bloody urine, jaundice, rash, convulsions and, in rare cases, death. — Char Adams, PEOPLE.com, "Woman Bit by Spider Must Pay to Leave Infested Apartment — As Couple Worries About New Renters," 11 July 2018 And their side effects were severe: anger, full-body rashes, or hallucinations that bugs were crawling from holes in his skin. — Lizzie Johnson, SFChronicle.com, "Berkeley boy was ‘Patient X’ in first FDA-approved medicine derived from marijuana," 8 July 2018 These viruses can cause vomiting, rash, nausea and, in the worst cases, death. — Scott Dance, baltimoresun.com, "Dealing with more bug bites than usual? Mosquitos are at 3 times their normal number in Maryland this summer.," 5 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

When Smith was rash enough to commend the architecture of Glasgow, . . — Deirdre Mccloskey, WSJ, "‘Adam Smith: Father of Economics’ Review: Obvious, Simple and Wise," 7 Sep. 2018 The stories As trade deadline nears for Marlins, team won't 'do anything rash, nothing emotional,' Michael Hill says The attendance Wednesday night: 5,265 Season average: 9,496 Telling numbers 860. — Matthew Defranks, Sun-Sentinel.com, "A Closer Look: Miami Marlins 5, Milwaukee Brewers 4 (12 innings)," 12 July 2018 That sounds rash, but a decision to part with Baker Hughes might indicate even greater desperation—a sign that the power business’s recovery is even farther off or that the insurance business needs more capital. — Spencer Jakab, WSJ, "GE Should Hang On to Baker Hughes," 6 June 2018 As the mother got confrontational with police, the father, 54-year-old Gary Davis, initially tried to keep her from doing anything too rash, WBAL reports. — Jared Gilmour, miamiherald, "Husband, wife and son tackled, choked and punched cops — and each other, Baltimore police say," 6 June 2018 The summit was the product of Trump’s own misunderstanding and rash decision-making in the first place, and not in any way coordinated with our allies or other key players in East Asia (i.e., China). — Jonah Shepp, Daily Intelligencer, "Trump’s Credibility Problem Is Now America’s," 26 May 2018 Researchers think that in some cases the resulting chemical influx modifies the brain in a way that makes risks and rewards—say, those in a game of poker—more appealing and rash decisions more difficult to resist. — Ferris Jabr, Scientific American, "How the Brain Gets Addicted to Gambling," 14 May 2018 Such rash decision-making does leave you to question their motives. — Joseph Gerth, The Courier-Journal, "Bevin's education chief changed the recommendation for a JCPS takeover," 11 May 2018 But working to make our country stronger does not mean making rash economic decisions that could have long-term negative consequences for our economy. — Gary Shapiro, Fortune, "Commentary: We Need a Reset With China, Not a Trade War," 6 Apr. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb

Whatever is causing the left-hander to pitch terribly away from home this season, the Giants need to address this road rash sooner rather than later. — Andrew Baggarly, The Mercury News, "Matt Moore implodes, Giants crushed 13-5 at Dodger Stadium," 2 May 2017

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

History and Etymology for rash

Noun

probably borrowed from 17th-century French rache, rasche, going back to Middle French raiche "tinea," noun derivative of racher "to chisel, groove (metal)" (probably also "to scrape, scratch," senses attested in Romance cognates), going back to Vulgar Latin *rāsicāre, verb derivative from Latin rās-, participial and nominal stem of rādere "to scrape, scratch, shave" — more at rase

Adverb

Middle English (northern dialect) rasch quickly; akin to Old High German rasc fast

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