rabid

[ rab-id ]

adjective

1. irrationally extreme in opinion or practice:

   a rabid isolationist;

   a rabid baseball fan.

   Synonyms: bigoted, fanatical, ardent, fervent, zealous

2. furious or raging; violently intense:

   a rabid hunger.

3. affected with or pertaining to rabies; mad.

rabid

/ ˈreɪ-; ˈræbɪd; rəˈbɪdɪtɪ /

adjective

1. relating to or having rabies
2. zealous; fanatical; violent; raging

Derived Forms

• rabidity, noun
• ˈrabidly, adverb

Other Words From

• rab·id·i·ty [r, uh, -, bid, -i-tee, ra-], rabid·ness noun
• rabid·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of rabid¹

First recorded in 1605–15; from Latin rabidus “raving, furious, mad,” from rab(ere) “to rave, be mad” + -idus -id ⁴

Word History and Origins

Origin of rabid¹

C17: from Latin rabidus frenzied, mad, from rabere to be mad

Example Sentences

A Fresno County woman died after being bitten by a rabid bat in the middle school classroom where she taught art, according to public health officials and published reports.

From Los Angeles Times

During their two-night run at the Fonda, the dance floor was filled with young fans whom Taylor happily describes as “young frothers, just frothing about life, like rabid frothing,” she says with a laugh.

From Los Angeles Times

Jones adds that each day he will see more people tattooing the characters' faces on their body, explaining "this is a rabid fan base".

From BBC

In that speech, Obama painted Trump — who was pushing the lie that Obama was not a natural born citizen of the United States — as a rabid conspiracist.

From Salon

All of this disinformation Trump’s inner circle produces is pushed out as misinformation by Trump’s cult and the rabid followers who wish to make bank off of the lunacy.

From Salon

Related Words

• crazed
• delirious
• enthusiastic
• fanatical
• fervent
• frenzied
• furious
• virulent
• zealous