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rapid response

rapid response

7 3.5
A quick reaction to an emergency or sudden problem
  • noun
  • /ˈræpɪd rɪˈspɑns/
translation icon : respuesta rápida
  • The firefighter's rapid response saved many lives during the blaze.
  • rapid response team
  • rapid response capability
  • rapid response force

OK, so the CIA set up this this rapid response team in Kenya.

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Examples

  • Prevention and rapid response require more effective methods of early detection.

    Academic text (2011)
  • That's because much of the rapid response to the travel ban occurred over the weekend.

    Academic text (2017)
  • My rapid response units are on full alert, sir.

  • A few other guys and I just watched because we could hear the rapid response team coming.

    Blog text (30)
  • Send helicopters and the rapid response team.

  • But because the world lacks an adequate rapid response force, little action is typically taken until it is too late.

    Academic text (2000)
  • In short, we are a fleet organization, highly flexible, and geared to rapid response.

    Academic text (1999)
  • Rapid response involves assessing the risk of an invasion threat and implementing a plan to address it.

    Academic text (2011)
  • An 85-year-old man living in a nursing home was referred to a rapid response team (RRT) by staff one Saturday afternoon.

    Academic text (2010)
  • Technology has also enabled scientists to mentor students from a distance through interactive tutorials and rapid responses to inquiries.

    Academic text (2013)

Synonyms

responsiveness
vsrapid response
9 4.3

A quick, helpful reaction that shows attention or interest

is an immediate action to an event rather than a general reactive quality
quick-fire response
vsrapid response
4.4

A very quick answer to a question given without thinking, often one after another

is an immediate action to an event not limited to quick answers

Antonyms

20 4.7

Not reacting to touch, sound, or commands

How Fast

rapid response
7 3.5
promptness
4 3.5

Surface Forms

Morphology

rapid + response

The meaning 'a quick or immediate reaction' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'rapid' (happening or moving with high speed) with 'response' (a reaction). This standard adjective+noun composition is common in English and other languages, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

The phrase rapid response brings to mind emergency teams jumping into trucks when an alarm sounds: rapid means very fast and response is the action they take. That's why rapid response means a very quick 'reaction' to an emergency or sudden problem.