rash

¹

[ rash ]

adjective

, rash·er, rash·est.

1. acting or tending to act too hastily or without due consideration.

   Synonyms: foolhardy, indiscreet, precipitate, incautious, venturous, reckless, impetuous, hasty

   Antonyms: cautious

2. characterized by or showing too great haste or lack of consideration:

   rash promises.

rash

²

[ rash ]

noun

1. an eruption or efflorescence on the skin.
2. a multitude of instances of something occurring more or less during the same period of time:

   a rash of robberies last month.

rash

¹

/ ræʃ /

adjective

1. acting without due consideration or thought; impetuous
2. characterized by or resulting from excessive haste or impetuosity

   a rash word

rash

²

/ ræʃ /

noun

1. pathol any skin eruption
2. a series of unpleasant and unexpected occurrences

   a rash of forest fires

Derived Forms

• ˈrashness, noun
• ˈrashly, adverb
• ˈrashˌlike, adjective

Other Words From

• rash·ly adverb
• rash·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of rash¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; cognate with Dutch, German rasch “quick, brisk,” Old Norse rǫskr “brave”

Origin of rash²

1700–10; < French rache (obsolete), Old French rasche skin eruption, derivative of raschier to scratch, ultimately < Latin rādere to scratch

Word History and Origins

Origin of rash¹

C14: from Old High German rasc hurried, clever; related to Old Norse roskr brave

Origin of rash²

C18: from Old French rasche , from raschier to scratch, from Latin rādere to scrape

Example Sentences

Until that becomes clearer, individuals should be cautious about making rash purchasing decisions.

From Salon

A rash can then develop, which can be extremely itchy or painful.

From BBC

The patient developed flu-like symptoms on 22 October and a rash two days later.

From BBC

After a day in the garden, my arms usually are crisscrossed with scratches, sunburn, a few punctures from thorns and more often than not, a low-grade rash.

From Los Angeles Times

The patient developed flu-like symptoms on 21 October and a rash three days later.

From BBC

Related Words

• epidemic
• eruption
• flood
• spate
• wave

More About Rash

What does rash mean?

Rash describes acting too quickly and without proper planning, as in James was rash when he decided to quit his job after just one hard day.

Rash also describes a great haste or a lack of consideration, such as Sahad avoided making rash decisions by doing a lot of research first. 

A rash is a skin condition, such as bumps or a red area, like you might get if you touch poison ivy.

A rash is also several instances of something that occur at the same or nearly the same time, such as a rash of snowstorms over a week or a rash of electronic sales during the winter holidays.

Example: He always jumps head first into rash decisions, but sometimes it works out.

Where does rash come from?

The first records of the term rash meaning “hasty” come from the 1300s. It is related to the Old Norse rǫskr, meaning “brave.” The first records of the term rash meaning “skin outbreak” come from the 1700s. It ultimately comes from the Latin rādere, meaning “to scratch.”

Normally, rashness is not a desired trait, as making decisions quickly without thinking about them enough can often lead to negative results. For example, when someone makes a promise they cannot keep, that is a rash promise or when they oversell their skill for a task, it is a rash commitment.

When referring to a skin condition, a rash can come in many different forms and can come from a variety of conditions. A heat rash can be the result of sweat glands becoming inflamed, usually causing itchiness or discomfort. You might also get a rash when you eat something you’re allergic to or when you touch something that commonly causes a reaction in humans, like poison sumac and poison oak.

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to rash?

• rashly (adverb)
• rashness (noun)
• rashlike (adjective)

What are some synonyms for rash?

• careless
• impulsive
• hasty
• eruption
• spate
• wave

What are some words that share a root or word element with rash? 

• heat rash
• rash guard

What are some words that often get used in discussing rash?

• actions
• bumps
• decision
• promise
• skin

How is rash used in real life?

Rash, relating to skin, is usually used in a medical context, while rash, meaning “foolish” is used more commonly to describe someone else’s actions..

people will be like “sorry I acted so rash I’m a Sagittarius with Virgo rising” like ma’am this is a murder trial

— Anna Fitzpatrick (@bananafitz) May 16, 2020

Heat rash on my face. Not cool

— Shawn Mendes (@ShawnMendes) January 3, 2016

My man Joaquin. Yes
Nearly 20 years since you should have won for that prickly rash of a performance as Commodus .
So many remarkable characters over the years.

Stunning performances from Renée Zellweger, the timeless Laura Dern & that Brad Pitt fella just keeps getting better.

— Russell Crowe (@russellcrowe) February 10, 2020

Try using rash!

Which of the following is NOT a synonym for rash?

A. foolhardy
B. cautious
C. reckless
D. daring