Definition of RASHNESS

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 Schwab is the most recent large financial firm, including Bank of America and Citigroup, to distance itself from the NRA and the gun industry following a rash of mass shootings. — Stephen Gandel, CBS News, "Charles Schwab charitable fund halts donations to NRA," 27 Nov. 2019 In response to a rash of racist graffiti and verbal attacks, a movement dubbed #NotAgainSU has led a weeklong sit-in on campus to demand the school address not just the current controversy but make institutional changes toward an anti-racist future. — Lucy Diavolo, Teen Vogue, "#NotAgainSU Sit-In Protest Demands Action After Racist Incident Spree at Syracuse University," 20 Nov. 2019 Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz told reporters Tuesday after Philly’s 24-20 loss to Atlanta on Sunday, speaking specifically to the rash of injuries suffered along the front. — Jonathan Jones, SI.com, "Once-Stout Eagles’ Defensive Line Is Struggling Early This Season," 18 Sep. 2019 Officials have rushed to respond to a sudden rash of respiratory illnesses among otherwise healthy people who have used e-cigarettes or other vaping products. — Anchorage Daily News, "California man is seventh person to die from suspected vape-related illness," 17 Sep. 2019 Police officers cover their faces to hide their identities following a rash of terrorist attacks. — Jeanne Jakle, ExpressNews.com, "The 15 new fall 2019 TV shows you need to watch," 12 Sep. 2019 Their plea, which follows the recent rash of mass shootings, is among of Corporate America's strongest statements yet against America's gun violence epidemic. — Jordan Valinsky, CNN, "145 CEOs sign a letter pleading with Congress to address gun violence," 12 Sep. 2019 Officers were working mandatory overtime following a rash of violent crime, including the fatal stabbing of 18-year-old Nia Wilson at the MacArthur Station. — Erin Baldassari, The Mercury News, "BART police hiring up, overtime down, as department tackles rising crime," 28 Aug. 2019 But the freewheeling culture has led to a rash of problems for Google management in recent years. — Los Angeles Times, "Google doesn’t want staff debating politics at work anymore," 23 Aug. 2019 Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective Martial - the central striker - was isolated and grew frustrated with a lack of service, resulting in him making rash challenges in a bid to regain possession. — SI.com, "Partizan Belgrade 0-1 Man Utd: Report, Ratings & Reaction as Red Devils Scrape Hard-Fought Win," 24 Oct. 2019 Set in a brightly colored, antiseptic suburb, the film follows two neighbors whose friendship is torn apart when in a rash moment of excessive politeness, one of the women offers to give the other her newborn baby. — Noel Murray, Los Angeles Times, "Ravenous alligators are loose in a flooded basement in ‘Crawl’: What could possibly go wrong?," 12 Oct. 2019 In present day, Olivia goes to Bryce’s mother Nora and implores her not to make rash judgments over who may have hurt Bryce. — Kaitlin Reilly, refinery29.com, "R29 Binge Club: 13 Reasons Why Season 3 Recap," 24 Aug. 2019 Some see his ability to win over Republican voters as catering to Trump’s toxic rhetoric and rash decision-making supported by the top level of the GOP, rather than a willingness for bipartisanship. — Mythili Sampathkumar, Fortune, "4 Things We Learned From Last Night’s Democratic Debate," 31 July 2019 And Tower, who gives an emotional, often rash performance as Burr, is the perfect counterpart to Utomi's earnest Hamilton. — Kathryn Gregory, The Courier-Journal, "It's not a show, it's a movement. 'Hamilton' wows at Kentucky Center," 6 June 2019 For Pyongyang, the state dispatches must convey frustration while tiptoeing around wording that would signal rash military action or upset Mr. Trump. — Timothy W. Martin, WSJ, "North Korea Fires Insults at U.S., Spares Trump," 15 June 2019 Goldman Sachs is urging clients not to take rash action, in part because the consequences of the crackdown will be case-dependent. — Matt Egan, CNN, "Antitrust lawsuits against Facebook and others could blow up your portfolio, Goldman Sachs says," 12 June 2019 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 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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