adjective
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relating to or having rabies
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zealous; fanatical; violent; raging
Other Word Forms
- rabidity noun
- rabidly adverb
- rabidness noun
Etymology
Origin of rabid
First recorded in 1605–15; from Latin rabidus “raving, furious, mad,” from rab(ere) “to rave, be mad” + -idus -id 4
Explanation
Chances are that if the tail-wagging dog that just appeared on your doorstep is also foaming at the mouth and chewing on your welcome mat, it's rabid and you should back away slowly; no petting for this infectious pup. While you've likely heard it used to describe an animal infected by rabies, rabid (derived from the Latin verb rabere, "be mad, rave") can also dramatically describe a person exhibiting fanatical, extremely enthusiastic, or raging behavior. That guy who nearly knocked you off the stands at the football game with his energetic fist-pumping and then was later kicked out for getting into a fight with another fan? Rabid on both counts.
Vocabulary lists containing rabid
The Lightning Thief
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The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
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"The Hunger Games" Vocabulary from Chapter 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Far from cheapening the brand, Ferrari’s rabid base of superfans only enhances the brand’s appeal to clients who can afford to pay millions of dollars for a car they will rarely drive.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026
A lot of cases it would be 10 rabid fans — friends of the rich guy — then 20 other people that are on the guest list or they’re family or they’re neighbors.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026
On the topic of rabid fans: I listened to an episode of “Wilco the Podcast” — these guys are deep in the lore.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026
Ohio State—with a huge, rabid fan following and decades of winning—had a booster program that few could match and spent accordingly.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 1, 2026
He could never forget Capricorn’s rabid dog for a single day even if he wanted to.
From "Inkheart" by Cornelia Funke
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
