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A rapier is a straight, two-edged sword with a narrow pointed blade, designed especially for thrusting. According to Encyclopædia Britannica, "the long rapier was beautifully balanced, excellent in attack, and superb for keeping an opponent at a distance." The word itself, which we borrowed in the 16th century, is from Middle French rapiere. The first time that rapier was used as an adjective in its figurative "cutting" sense, it described a smile: "Who can bear a rapier smile? A kiss that dooms the soul to death?" ("The Lover's Lament" by Sumner Lincoln Fairfield, 1824). The adjective these days most commonly describes wit-an association that dates to the 1850s.
Examples of rapier in a Sentence
Mayukh Sen, Washington Post, 1 Apr. 2024
Hollander digs his teeth into every scene, from Capote spouting the rapier wit that the writer used to bring down more than a few, to cooking in his Manhattan apartment.
—Lisa Respers France, CNN, 13 Mar. 2024
Some of his favorites include a Spanish cup-hilt rapier, a defensive left-hand dagger from the 15th century, and a Napoleonic cavalry saber.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 1 Mar. 2024
Guy Branum is a rapier wit, Lisa Gilroy is an improv beast, and Marcella Arguello is always the coolest person in the room.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 26 Jan. 2024
No one bothered to do the math, however, because Bentsen destroyed Quayle’s point with a rapier thrust.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2023
Like the introductory rivalry scene in which Cyrano’s rapier wit and rapier skills humiliate a celebrated theater ham just to win the flighty Roxanne’s attention, Wright aims to impress, but his flamboyance and foundering romanticism miss the mark.
—Armond White, National Review, 25 Feb. 2022
Thernum Broodfist Played by: Leah Becerra Moutain Dwarf, Fighter Fighters train in combat styles can swing an axe, fence with a rapier, wield or a greatsword.
—BostonGlobe.com, 29 Mar. 2023
Schroeder took on the powerful elite with her rapier wit and antics for 24 years, shaking up stodgy government institutions by forcing them to acknowledge that women had a role in government.
—Douglass K. Daniel, USA TODAY, 14 Mar. 2023
Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Nov. 2022
And instead of rapier-thin thrusts to breach Ukraine’s borders, the Russian army and its separatist allies are now deployed along a contiguous front line shaped like a boomerang.
—Nabih Bulosstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2022
Hall has an absolutely rapier wit, one that slices through the customs and expectations of the British aristocracy with gleaming verve.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 11 Feb. 2022
The almost 40-story high-rise would contain a combination of office, retail, hotel and residential space in a rapier-thin tower.
—Steve Brown, Dallas News, 26 Oct. 2020
But there’s a fine line between forceful leadership and churlish self-absorption, and foot stomping is less effective than shredding an opponent with a rapier wit.
—Todd J. Gillman, Dallas News, 22 Oct. 2020
Known for his rapier wit, Murphy likes to dig the verbal knife into players, always making sure to do so with their peers as witnesses.
—Tom Haudricourt, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 18 Sep. 2020
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rapier.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Rapier.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rapier. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
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