rapid
gb/ɹˈæpɪd/ us/ɹˈæpɪd/
B1
English
~ 2500
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B1
property
1
Happening or moving quickly
Happening or moving very fast.
Usage pattern:
a rapid [change/movement/growth]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'rapid' with 'sudden'. 'Rapid' focuses on speed, while 'sudden' focuses on unexpectedness.
Synonyms
quick (Slightly less formal and more common in everyday speech.)
|
fast (More informal and general; often used for speed of movement.)
Antonyms
slow (Opposite in speed; occurring over a longer time.)
Collocations
rapid growth
|rapid change
|rapid progress
|rapid movement
|rapid response
Themes
daily life
|time
|movement
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The patient made a rapid recovery after surgery.
- We saw rapid changes in technology over the past decade.
- The river’s rapid current made swimming dangerous.
- He made a rapid decision without much thought.
- The company experienced rapid growth in its first year.
Learner examples
- The train is very rapid.
- He made a rapid move to the door.
- We saw rapid growth in the town.
- The river has a rapid flow.
- She made a rapid change in her plan.
Noun
B1
entity
2
Fast-flowing river section
A place in a river where water moves very fast and is rough.
Usage pattern:
to navigate the rapids
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'rapids' (plural noun) with 'rapid' (adjective). 'Rapids' almost always appears in plural form when talking about rivers.
Synonyms
whitewater (Specifically refers to turbulent water in rapids, often used in sports contexts.)
Antonyms
calm water (Still or slow-moving part of a river.)
Collocations
shoot the rapids
|white-water rapids
|dangerous rapids
Themes
nature
|sports
|travel
Examples
- The canoe tipped over while going through the rapids.
- They trained for months before attempting the dangerous rapids.
- We went white-water rafting through the rapids.
- The rapids made navigation extremely difficult.
- Tourists love the thrill of shooting the rapids.
Learner examples
- We saw big rapids in the river.
- The boat went through the rapids.
- The rapids are very strong.
- He fell in the rapids.
- They like to go to the rapids for fun.
Grammar
Dictionary form
rapid
IPA
GB/ɹˈæpɪd/
US/ɹˈæpɪd/
Syllables & stress
rap - id (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (rap)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: rapid
- Comparative: rapider
- Superlative: rapidest
Noun
- Base: rapid
- Plural: rapids
Word family
Expressions
in rapid succession
1/ˈɪn ɹˈæpɪd səksˈɛʃən/
fixed phrase
Quickly one after another
Happening quickly one after another without much time between them.
Examples
- Three loud bangs came in rapid succession.
- The team scored twice in rapid succession.
rapid-fire
1/ɹˈæpɪd fˈaɪɚ/
fixed phrase
Very quick succession
Happening or said very fast, one after another without pause.
Examples
- She asked him rapid-fire questions during the interview.
- The comedian delivered jokes in rapid-fire style.