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

a rabid dog

rabidity

rə-ˈbi-də-tē 

ra-, 

rā-

noun

rabidly

ˈra-bəd-lē 

also ˈrā-

adverb

rabidness noun

Synonyms of rabid

• extreme
• radical
• revolutionary

Examples of rabid in a Sentence

a politician with rabid supporters

Her husband is a rabid baseball fan.

Recent Examples on the Web

Her primarily millennial fans are rabid to see her in concert. —Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 15 Feb. 2026

On the Mississippi Gulf Coast, where in the late Nineties 3 Doors Down grew such a rabid fanbase that label heads Monte Lipman of Universal and Jason Flom of Lava/Atlantic came in person to meet them, local scenesters remembered the generosity Arnold and the band showed them. —Jim Beaugez, Rolling Stone, 15 Feb. 2026

The happy couple strolls around town to do normal couple activities (such as a romantic dinner date or appearing on the Kiss Cam at a sporting event), before Pringle Man is destroyed by rabid fans. —Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 4 Feb. 2026

Then, in 2022, New York legalized online and mobile sports betting and suddenly, rabid fans like Shane were subject to rampant advertising and alluring promotions. —Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 1 Feb. 2026

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