Rapidly — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective adverb /ˈra-pəd/ rap·id

Meaning & Definition of Rapidly

Rapidly (adjective)

  1. marked by a fast rate of motion, activity, succession, or occurrence

Rapidly (adverb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. with great speed

    "summer vacation has gone by way too rapidly"

    similar: apace, briskly, chop-chop, double-quick, fast, fleetly, full tilt, hastily, hell-for-leather, hot, lickety-split, posthaste, presto, pronto, quick, quickly, snappily, soon, speedily, swift, swiftly, a mile a minute, at full throttle, at full tilt, by leaps and bounds, in a hurry, in short order, like a shot, like gangbusters, like wildfire
    related: immediately, promptly, readily, impetuously, impulsively, rashly, recklessly, abruptly, suddenly, energetically, vigorously
    opposite: slow, slowly
    near: laggardly, lingeringly, ploddingly, sluggishly, deliberately, leisurely, belatedly, delinquently, tardily

Related Entry: Rapid (adjective)

Rapid is a different word from Rapidly. The synonyms below are for rapid, not for rapidly.

  1. moving, proceeding, or acting with great speed

    "the rapid descent of the roller coaster made me feel very queasy"

    similar: blistering, breakneck, breathless, brisk, dizzy, fast, fleet, fleet-footed, flying, galloping, hasty, hot, lightning, nippy, quick, rapid-fire, rattling, snappy, speedy, splitting, swift, whirlwind, zippy, at speed (chiefly British)
    related: expeditious, prompt, ready, accelerated, hastened, hurried, quickened, rushed, breathtaking, energetic, strenuous, strong, vigorous, high-speed, rush, ultrafast, ultrarapid
    opposite: slow
    near: crawling, dallying, dawdling, dillydallying, dragging, laggard, languid, lingering, plodding, poking, poky, slowish, sluggish, unhurried, deliberate, leisurely, measured, dilatory, late, tardy, ultraslow

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Rapidly

The most common words with a similar meaning to Rapidly:

apace, briskly, chop-chop, double-quick, fast, fleetly, full tilt, hastily, hell-for-leather, hot, lickety-split, posthaste, presto, pronto, quick, quickly, snappily, soon, speedily, swift, swiftly, a mile a minute, at full throttle, at full tilt, by leaps and bounds, in a hurry, in short order, like a shot, like gangbusters, like wildfire

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Rapidly

Words with the opposite meaning of Rapidly:

slow, slowly

Related Words for Rapidly

immediately, promptly, readily, impetuously, impulsively, rashly, recklessly, abruptly, suddenly, energetically, vigorously

Near Antonyms of Rapidly

laggardly, lingeringly, ploddingly, sluggishly, deliberately, leisurely, belatedly, delinquently, tardily

Word Forms of Rapidly

Derived words: rapidly (adverb), rapidness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Rapidly

borrowed from French & Latin; French rapide, going back to Middle French, borrowed from Latin rapidus "(of water) flowing violently enough to sweep anything along in its path, swiftly moving, quick," from rapere "to seize and carry off, carry or sweep along" + -idus, adjective suffix; rapere perhaps going back to pre-Latin *rep-, secondary zero-grade from presumed *erp-, going back to Indo-European *h1rp-, zero-grade of a base *h1rep- "seize, pluck," whence also Lithuanian aprė́piu, aprė́pti "to surround, include," Albanian rjep "removes, robs," Greek ereptómenos "feeding on, devouring"

First known use: 1634

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Rapidly

Frequently Asked Questions about Rapidly

What does "Rapidly" mean?

"Rapidly" means marked by a fast rate of motion, activity, succession, or occurrence. As an an adjective and an adverb, it is defined as: marked by a fast rate of motion, activity, succession, or occurrence.

What is another word for "Rapidly"?

Other words for "Rapidly" include apace, briskly, chop-chop, double-quick, fast, fleetly, full tilt and hastily. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Rapidly" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Rapidly"?

There are 41 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Rapidly". Common alternatives include apace, briskly, chop-chop, double-quick, fast, fleetly, full tilt, hastily, hell-for-leather and hot.

What is the opposite of "Rapidly"?

Antonyms of "Rapidly" include slow and slowly. Near antonyms include laggardly, lingeringly, ploddingly and sluggishly.

How do you use "Rapidly" in a sentence?

Examples of "Rapidly" in a sentence: "summer vacation has gone by way too rapidly".

Is "Rapidly" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Rapidly" can be used as an adjective and an adverb, depending on the context.

Is "Rapidly" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B2-level word, "Rapidly" is typical of Cambridge B2 First (FCE), IELTS band 5.5–6.5, TOEFL iBT 72–94, PTE Academic 59–75, TOEIC Listening & Reading 785+.

How do you pronounce "Rapidly"?

"Rapidly" is pronounced /ˈra-pəd/ and divided into syllables as rap·id.