rapidly

[ rap-id-lee ]

adverb

1. within a short period of time:

   There are thousands of languages spoken in the world today, but many of them are rapidly approaching obsolescence and extinction.

2. with great speed; swiftly:

   Bats are more likely than birds to detect rapidly spinning turbine blades and avoid flying into them.

Other Words From

• ul·tra·rap·id·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of rapidly¹

rapid ( def ) + -ly

Example Sentences

Mark writes about his experience using ketamine online and is well-connected to existing resources, so he was able to rapidly find another provider.

From Salon

Recent estimates indicate that deadly antibiotic-resistant infections will rapidly escalate over the next quarter century.

From Science Daily

AI-based technologies are rapidly learning to see, converse, calculate and create.

From Science Daily

Two years ago, cases of Clade II mpox were rapidly increasing in cities across the globe, particularly in the U.S.

From Los Angeles Times

An experiment on great tits has pinpointed a single factor -- immigration -- that can cause birds to pay close attention to others, leading them to rapidly adopt useful behaviors.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• briskly
• expeditiously
• fast
• immediately
• promptly
• speedily
• swiftly