rabid

adjective

ra·​bid ˈra-bəd How to pronounce rabid (audio)
also
ˈrā- How to pronounce rabid (audio)
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 noun
rabidly
ˈra-bəd-lē How to pronounce rabid (audio)
 also  ˈrā-
adverb
rabidness noun

Examples of rabid in a Sentence

a politician with rabid supporters Her husband is a rabid baseball fan.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Yet what distinguishes Bowles’s work—what animates those strange, angular sentences, with their unexpected rhythms and turns of phrase and rabid energy—isn’t its interest in nonconformity but its obsession with spiritual transformation. Nicole Flattery, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025 In the United States, where rabid dogs are far less common due to effective rabies prevention programs, contact with infected bats is the leading cause of human rabies deaths. Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2025 There was a beach house, there was recurring cancer, there were daddy issues, there was a lot of self-tanner applied incorrectly, and there was a fandom so rabid and out of pocket that Amazon had to publicly ask them to stop bullying the cast online. Rachel Handler, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2025 When Onana jogs onto the field for his warm-up, the boos are rabid. Tim Spiers, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for rabid

Word History

Etymology

Latin rabidus mad, from rabere

First Known Use

1594, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of rabid was in 1594

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rabid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rabid. Accessed 26 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

rabid

adjective
ra·​bid ˈrab-əd How to pronounce rabid (audio)
 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

More from Merriam-Webster on rabid

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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