What does rapping mean?
Rapping is most commonly used for the act of performing rap: delivering words with a strong rhythmic pattern, often through rhyming lines, as part of a song or spoken performance. It is also an ordinary verb meaning to knock or tap repeatedly, as in rapping on a door, and can function as a noun for the activity or an individual performance. The musical sense is especially associated with 20th-century African American musical and vernacular traditions, although rapping now belongs to a broad global popular culture. In casual writing, the word usually refers to rap performance, while the older sense of a sharp, repeated knock survives in phrases such as “a rapping at the door.” Its usefulness lies in connecting two familiar forms of rhythmic expression: the percussive sound of tapping and the musical rhythm of rhymed speech.
To perform rap by delivering words in a rapid, rhythmic, rhymed style; also, to strike or tap something repeatedly.
"He rapped a new verse at the open mic."
The musical sense dominates in contemporary usage, while the sense of knocking or tapping remains common in expressions such as “rapping on the door.”
The act or activity of rapping, especially a rap performance; also, the act of knocking or tapping repeatedly.
"Her rapping combines rapid delivery with sharply observant lyrics."
As a noun, rapping is usually treated as an uncountable activity, though the plural “rappings” is occasionally used for separate performances or pieces.
Uncommon; rapping is normally treated as an uncountable noun for the activity.
"The early rappings on the album reveal how quickly his style developed."
The same word that means a quick knock can mean turning tightly rhymed speech into rhythmic performance.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does rapping come from?
Rapping is the present participle and gerund of rap. The musical sense developed within 20th-century African American English and musical culture, where rap came to describe rhythmic, rhymed speech delivered as performance. The older English sense of rap, meaning to knock or strike a surface sharply and repeatedly, is older; the precise relationship between that earlier sense and the musical development is not entirely straightforward.
Related word forms
How rapping is actually used
In contemporary usage, rapping most often refers to the musical and spoken performance of rap. The sense involving repeated knocks or taps is still common but is generally identifiable from context. The word is neutral as a description of the musical activity, though it may sound informal when used in everyday conversation.
Easily confused with rapping
Rapping involves speaking rhythmically or knocking repeatedly, whereas wrapping means enclosing or covering something in paper, cloth, or another material.