rabid

adjective

ra·​bid ˈra-bəd 

also

ˈrā- 

1

a

: extremely violent : furious

b

: going to extreme lengths in expressing or pursuing a feeling, interest, or opinion

rabid editorials

a rabid supporter

2

: affected with rabies

rabidity

rə-ˈbi-də-tē 

ra-

rā-

noun

rabidly

ˈra-bəd-lē 

 also  ˈrā-

adverb

rabidness noun

Synonyms

• extreme
• extremist
• fanatic
• fanatical
• radical
• revolutionary
• revolutionist
• ultra

Examples of rabid in a Sentence

a politician with rabid supporters

Her husband is a rabid baseball fan.

Recent Examples on the Web

South Florida is rabid for the Panthers, and why not? —Josh Yohe, New York Times, 1 May 2025

Concerning Cujo, the rabid St. Bernard who never meant anyone any harm, his legacy lives on. —Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 1 May 2025

None of this — the Netflix exposé painting her childhood as hellish and her adolescence as haunted by the specter of a controlling, manipulative mother; the rabid backlash to it and endless coverage of it — is pushing Piper off social media. —Fortesa Latifi, Rolling Stone, 1 May 2025

Klepper’s specials have also covered the American midterm elections and dove deep into the psyche of Trump’s most rabid supporters. —Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 29 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin rabidus mad, from rabere

First Known Use

1594, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

rabid

adjective

ra·​bid ˈrab-əd 

 also  ˈrā-bəd

1

: extremely violent : furious

2

: going to extreme lengths (as in interest or opinion)

rabid supporters

3

: affected with rabies

a rabid dog

rabidly adverb

Medical Definition

rabid

adjective

ra·​bid

ˈrab-əd also ˈrā-bəd

: affected with rabies

a rabid dog