: marked by a fast rate of motion, activity, succession, or occurrence
rapidly
adverb
rapidness
noun
: a part of a river where the current is fast and the surface is usually broken by obstructions
—usually used in plural but singular or plural in construction
Synonyms
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
Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 16 Apr. 2024
The layoffs were predicated by the overall reduction in Marvel’s slate of film and TV titles after the challenges of the 2023 releases led the company to reassess the rapid increase in productions to feed the launch of Disney+.
—Adam B. Vary, Variety, 15 Apr. 2024
The robotaxi industry is not entitled to rapid deployment in California.
—Mercury News & East Bay Times Editorial Boards, The Mercury News, 12 Apr. 2024
And it’s proven to be a fitting name for a company that’s among the fastest-growing startups ever—in 2022, the cloud security company hit $100 million in ARR just 18 months after its launch, and has continued growing at a rapid clip ever since.
—Byallie Garfinkle, Fortune, 10 Apr. 2024
Yellen cited the manufacturing of electric vehicles and their batteries as well as solar energy equipment — sectors that the U.S. administration is trying to promote domestically — as areas where Chinese government subsidies have driven rapid expansion of production.
—Fatima Hussein and Ken Moritsugu, Quartz, 8 Apr. 2024
Despite the rapid success, the Offspring didn’t make the immediate jump to arenas, nor were the members quick to leave their daily lives behind.
—Daniel Kohn, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2024
Biden’s rapid deployment of U.S. military assets to the region, together with his diplomatic overtures in Lebanon and other key regional actors, helped avert the wider war that Hamas may have hoped to precipitate.
—Suzanne Maloney, Foreign Affairs, 8 Apr. 2024
Our tester loved the smart vortex cleaning system, which uses rapid rotation and water to flush away hair and debris after use.
—Lindsay Modglin, Verywell Health, 8 Apr. 2024
USA TODAY, 30 Jan. 2024
The river, its banks, and its gradient are transforming so fast that boater informational guides can’t keep up with new beaches forming and old ones slumping away, temporary rapids created from mud moving downstream, and historic rapids resurrecting.
—Cassidy Randall, Rolling Stone, 18 Feb. 2024
Per the official synopsis, once the group become stranded in raging rapids, the thrill-seeking trip quickly turns from exciting to utterly terrifying as the rafters are trapped in a desperate fight for their lives, all while someone seems intent on sabotage to ensure shocking secrets stay buried.
—Lauren Huff, EW.com, 13 July 2023
Just upstream of Glen Canyon, 65 percent of Cataract Canyon was also flooded, and many of its fearsome rapids disappeared.
—Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Jan. 2024
Two years ago, science journalist Melissa Sevigny retraced their adventure, whitewater rafting the same rapids and sleeping under the stars to learn more about who these women were—and why their work still influences the scientific landscape of America today.
—Shraddha Chowdhury, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Nov. 2023
The water was plenty cold, but not too high, making the rapids more manageable.
—Billy Baker, BostonGlobe.com, 28 Apr. 2023
Inexperienced paddlers should stick to calm water without a lot of rapids.
—Matthew Every, Field & Stream, 14 Dec. 2023
On the other side of the globe last week, winding Hong Kong streets became surging rapids.
—Theodora Yu, Washington Post, 14 Sep. 2023
Adjective
Adding to its woes, its rapid expansion in different parts of the world during the peak of its success made matters worse.
—Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 16 Apr. 2024
The layoffs were predicated by the overall reduction in Marvel’s slate of film and TV titles after the challenges of the 2023 releases led the company to reassess the rapid increase in productions to feed the launch of Disney+.
—Adam B. Vary, Variety, 15 Apr. 2024
The robotaxi industry is not entitled to rapid deployment in California.
—Mercury News & East Bay Times Editorial Boards, The Mercury News, 12 Apr. 2024
And it’s proven to be a fitting name for a company that’s among the fastest-growing startups ever—in 2022, the cloud security company hit $100 million in ARR just 18 months after its launch, and has continued growing at a rapid clip ever since.
—Byallie Garfinkle, Fortune, 10 Apr. 2024
Yellen cited the manufacturing of electric vehicles and their batteries as well as solar energy equipment — sectors that the U.S. administration is trying to promote domestically — as areas where Chinese government subsidies have driven rapid expansion of production.
—Fatima Hussein and Ken Moritsugu, Quartz, 8 Apr. 2024
Despite the rapid success, the Offspring didn’t make the immediate jump to arenas, nor were the members quick to leave their daily lives behind.
—Daniel Kohn, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2024
Biden’s rapid deployment of U.S. military assets to the region, together with his diplomatic overtures in Lebanon and other key regional actors, helped avert the wider war that Hamas may have hoped to precipitate.
—Suzanne Maloney, Foreign Affairs, 8 Apr. 2024
Our tester loved the smart vortex cleaning system, which uses rapid rotation and water to flush away hair and debris after use.
—Lindsay Modglin, Verywell Health, 8 Apr. 2024
Noun
National Geographic also recommends road-tripping on Route 66 through New Mexico, catching the total solar eclipse on April 8 at Terrapin Point in Niagara Falls State Park, antiquing in New York's Hudson Valley and rafting through the rapids in West Virginia's New River.
—USA TODAY, 30 Jan. 2024
The river, its banks, and its gradient are transforming so fast that boater informational guides can’t keep up with new beaches forming and old ones slumping away, temporary rapids created from mud moving downstream, and historic rapids resurrecting.
—Cassidy Randall, Rolling Stone, 18 Feb. 2024
Per the official synopsis, once the group become stranded in raging rapids, the thrill-seeking trip quickly turns from exciting to utterly terrifying as the rafters are trapped in a desperate fight for their lives, all while someone seems intent on sabotage to ensure shocking secrets stay buried.
—Lauren Huff, EW.com, 13 July 2023
Just upstream of Glen Canyon, 65 percent of Cataract Canyon was also flooded, and many of its fearsome rapids disappeared.
—Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Jan. 2024
Two years ago, science journalist Melissa Sevigny retraced their adventure, whitewater rafting the same rapids and sleeping under the stars to learn more about who these women were—and why their work still influences the scientific landscape of America today.
—Shraddha Chowdhury, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Nov. 2023
The water was plenty cold, but not too high, making the rapids more manageable.
—Billy Baker, BostonGlobe.com, 28 Apr. 2023
Inexperienced paddlers should stick to calm water without a lot of rapids.
—Matthew Every, Field & Stream, 14 Dec. 2023
On the other side of the globe last week, winding Hong Kong streets became surging rapids.
—Theodora Yu, Washington Post, 14 Sep. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rapid.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near rapid
Cite this Entry
“Rapid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rapid. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
rapid
1 of 2 adjective
rap·id
ˈrap-əd 
: very fast
rapidity
noun
rə-ˈpid-ət-ē
ra-
rapidly
adverb
rapidness
noun
rapid
2 of 2 noun
: a part of a river where the current flows fast usually over rocks
—usually used in plural
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