rabid en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /ˈɹeɪbɪd/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- (Southern-England) audio
- /ˈɹæbɪd/ (General-American)
- (US) audio
- /ˈɹæbɪd/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- (Southern-England) audio
Etymology
Etymology tree Latin rabiō Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁-der. Proto-Italic *-iðos Latin -idus Latin rabidusbor. English rabid From the Latin rabidus, from rabiō (“to rave”).
Meanings
-
Affected with rabies.
a rabid dog or fox
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Of or pertaining to rabies, or hydrophobia.
a rabid virus
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(broadly) Furious; raging; extremely violent.
Their rage appeared to dissipate into bewilderment as they sensed for the first time exactly where they were. They peered about, and rather than drawing their rabid strength from the memorials surrounding them, they were confused. In their disfigured faces, Suzanna sensed the stunning realization that they too were now among the honored dead. It came to them as an epiphany.
1984, Richard Setlowe, The Haunting of Suzanna Blackwell: A Novel, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, page 272:He met her struggles with rabid force, shaking her and growling.
1990, Betina Krahn, Luck Be a Lady, Zebra Books, Kensington Publishing Corporation, page 417:This letter never reached its destination; the watchmaker, Mare Biron, who had offered to convey it to England, was arrested whilst attempting to pass the royal lines, and was immediately hanged. La Rochelle, however, still held out. “Their rabid fury,” says the cardinal, ‘‘gave them new strength, or rather the avenging wrath of God caused them to be supplied therewith in extraordinary measure by his evil spirit in order to prolong their woes; they were already almost at the end thereof and misery found upon them no more substance whereon it could feed and support itself; they were skeletons, empty shadows, breathing corpses rather than living men.”
1889, Guizot's History of France, archived from the original on 25 Jun 2020, pages 95-96:Brutal compulsion was the necessary accompaniment of the large-scale organization and the extensive order introduced by kingship. Herodotus’ history is full of revolting descriptions of the rabid violence of kings, such as the tale he told of Cambyses.
1967, Lewis Mumford, The Myth of the Machine, Harcourt, Brace & World, →ISBN, page 184:It seems a very likely agreement that the Maestre’s activity against Cabra, at and after Ciudad Real, should be balanced by the service of Aguilar’s brutal underlings in the Rebellion at Fuente Ovejuna." In any event, there were “algunos caballeros (sic) cordobeses a devocién de . . . Rodrigo Girén,” who in 1473 had already proved themselves only too eager for the most rabid violence.
1934, Publications of the Modern Language Association of America 1934-09: Volume 49, Issue 3, Modern Language Association of America, pages 710-711:
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(figuratively) Very extreme, unreasonable, or fanatical in opinion; excessively zealous.
It is there in the rabid ideology underpinning Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) thuggish assault on immigrants in Minneapolis.
2026 January 21, David Smith, “Trump paints himself as great white hope in racism-drenched Davos speech”, in The Guardian, →ISSN, archived from the original on 05 Mar 2026:When in 1780 this terrible Prode-zeit was over, and Mirabeau obtained his final release, he emerged not, as we should expect from the violence of his nature, a rabid hater of mankind, a furious revolutionist, a determined avenger of his wrongs, buya man sane in intellect, passionate but with the passion of humanity, humiliated but forgiving, scorned but patient, strong in the strength of his own self-knowledge, determined to win for himself a place in the councils of the nation.
1896, The University Extension Journal, Volume 1, Number 4, Archibald Constable & Company, page 96:" I doubt him ; he is more rabid than ever. 'T was but yesterday he sent forth a proclamation forbidding the British soldiers to walk the streets, — mark ye, Mynheer Beekman, his Majesty's own troops ; he would keep them cooped up."
1890, Edwin Lassetter Bynner, The Begum's Daughter, Little, Brown, and Company, page 214:a rabid socialist
He was bubbling over with loyalty, and became rabid at the mere mention of annexation. His head was white with the bleaching. of threescore and ten years. Great experience and extensive practical knowledge, with frankness and volubility in conversation, made him a most agreeable companion, and we much regretted parting with him and his amiable daughter at Kingston.
1850, Benson J. Lossing, The Pictorial Fieldbook of the Revolution, Harper and Brothers Publisher, page 210:The plaintiffs G.C., Ltd., were manufacturers and sellers of ‘fittings for hotels and public houses and in particular of apparatus for conveying beers from cellar to bar. The defendants were also manufacturers of another apparatus for the same purpose. The suit was brought by the plaintiffs for damages and for an injunction on the ground that the defendants had falsely and maliciously caused to be published to brewers letters containing statements disparaging the plaintiffs’ apparatus as being obsolete and antihygienic. A copy of this claim was served on the defendants The defendants’ agent H, without the knowledge of defendants sent up ‘copies of this claim to certain brewers with a letter containing the words “since the commencement of this business our sales have shown considerable increases week by week and this unbounded success seems to have aroused the rabid jealousy of Messrs. G. C., Ltd., as shown by; the enclosed ‘statement of claim’ which we received from them . . . we refuse to! be intimidated by these actions, and we intend to contest this ‘cock and bull’ claim to the uttermost degree”. The plaintiffs thereupon moved for contempt of court in publishing this letter and the ‘statement of claim pending trial of the action.
1937, Madras Law Journal, Issue No. 1078, Mr. R. Narayanaswami Iyer, page 26:rabid Green Bay Packers fans
Cross-examine the pessimists of your acquaintance, and you will find them one day rabid pessimists. Once more, then, true wisdom, while never ignoring the necessity of moderate hope, will never allow immoderate expectation to be the ascendant star whereby life's course is steered.
1879, George Somers Bellamy, Essays from Shakspere, The Edinburgh Publishing Company, pages 96-97:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| rabidest | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| rabider | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic |
Deriveds
rabid wolf spider · rabidness · rabidity · nonrabid · rabidly
Synonyms
ferocious · maximum · infuriate · incessive · intense · rampant · extreme · savage · wild · rabid · maximum · raging · exquisite · mad · utmost · infuriate · raging · fanatical · volatile · fierce · ardent · uttermost · maximal · greatest · highest · ferocious · furious · passing · fierce · grim · utmost · ultimate · almighty · raging
Translations (107)
gl rabioso (affected with rabies) · uk скаже́ний (affected with rabies) · ar مَكْلُوب (affected with rabies) · egl rabî (furious; raging; extremely violent) · ru я́ростный (furious; raging; extremely violent) · ru взбеси́вшийся (furious; raging; extremely violent) · nl rabiaat (very extreme, unreasonable, or fanatical in opinion; excessively zealous) · ru фанати́чный (very extreme, unreasonable, or fanatical in opinion; excessively zealous) · bg неистов (very extreme, unreasonable, or fanatical in opinion; excessively zealous) · it arrabbiato (very extreme, unreasonable, or fanatical in opinion; excessively zealous) · ms gila (affected with rabies) · la rabidus (furious; raging; extremely violent) · mn галзуу (of or pertaining to rabies, or hydrophobia) · ca rabiós (of or pertaining to rabies, or hydrophobia) · es rabioso (furious; raging; extremely violent) · uk здурі́лий (very extreme, unreasonable, or fanatical in opinion; excessively zealous) · tk guduz (affected with rabies) · de wütend (furious; raging; extremely violent) · uk лю́тий (furious; raging; extremely violent) · ru неи́стовый (very extreme, unreasonable, or fanatical in opinion; excessively zealous) · pt raivoso (furious; raging; extremely violent) · el λυσσώδης (of or pertaining to rabies, or hydrophobia) · fr enragé (furious; raging; extremely violent) · alt јӱӱлгек (affected with rabies) · fi raivokas (furious; raging; extremely violent) · ast rabiosu (furious; raging; extremely violent) · ru неи́стовый (furious; raging; extremely violent) · vi dại (affected with rabies) · de tollwütig (affected with rabies) · cy cynddeiriog (affected with rabies) · nn rabiat (furious; raging; extremely violent) · it rabbioso (affected with rabies) · ga confach (of or pertaining to rabies, or hydrophobia) · fi vesikauhuinen (of or pertaining to rabies, or hydrophobia) · nl razend (furious; raging; extremely violent) · ast rabiosu (affected with rabies) · bg побеснял (furious; raging; extremely violent) · it arrabbiato (of or pertaining to rabies, or hydrophobia) · es rabioso (affected with rabies) · ro turbat (furious; raging; extremely violent) · sv rabiat (very extreme, unreasonable, or fanatical in opinion; excessively zealous) · el φανατικός (very extreme, unreasonable, or fanatical in opinion; excessively zealous) · sh bijesan (furious; raging; extremely violent) · pl wściekły (affected with rabies) · de fanatisch (very extreme, unreasonable, or fanatical in opinion; excessively zealous) · tr kuduz (affected with rabies) · ro turbat (affected with rabies) · bg яростен (furious; raging; extremely violent) · fi raivotauti- (of or pertaining to rabies, or hydrophobia) · sl stekel (affected with rabies) · fr enragé (affected with rabies) · el λυσσαλέος (furious; raging; extremely violent) · fi kiihkeä (very extreme, unreasonable, or fanatical in opinion; excessively zealous) · mn галзуу (affected with rabies) · it arrabbiato (affected with rabies) · ca rabiós (affected with rabies) · gl rabiado (furious; raging; extremely violent) · uk скаже́ний (furious; raging; extremely violent) · hy կատաղի (of or pertaining to rabies, or hydrophobia) · el μαινόμενος (furious; raging; extremely violent) · tyz bả (affected with rabies) · az quduz (affected with rabies) · cs fanatický (furious; raging; extremely violent) · nl hondsdol (affected with rabies) · fi vesikauhuinen (affected with rabies) · nl dol (affected with rabies) · tr kuduzlu (affected with rabies) · ast rabiosu (of or pertaining to rabies, or hydrophobia) · ca rabiós (furious; raging; extremely violent) · it arrabbiato (furious; raging; extremely violent) · el λυσσασμένος (affected with rabies) · hy կատաղի (very extreme, unreasonable, or fanatical in opinion; excessively zealous) · egl rabî (very extreme, unreasonable, or fanatical in opinion; excessively zealous) · sv rabiat (furious; raging; extremely violent) · ar مَسْعُور (affected with rabies) · ru я́ростный (very extreme, unreasonable, or fanatical in opinion; excessively zealous) · ga confach (affected with rabies) · hu veszett (affected with rabies) · ga confach (furious; raging; extremely violent) · gag kuduz (affected with rabies) · ru бе́шеный (affected with rabies) · cs zuřivý (furious; raging; extremely violent) · pdt doll (furious; raging; extremely violent) · gl rabioso (furious; raging; extremely violent) · el μανιώδης (very extreme, unreasonable, or fanatical in opinion; excessively zealous) · ru бе́шеный (furious; raging; extremely violent) · hy կատաղի (affected with rabies) · bg болен от бяс (affected with rabies) · pt raivoso (affected with rabies) · gl doente (affected with rabies) · ar مَسْعُور (furious; raging; extremely violent) · fi vesikauhu- (of or pertaining to rabies, or hydrophobia) · hy կատաղի (furious; raging; extremely violent) · fi raivotautinen (affected with rabies) · uk зви́хнений (very extreme, unreasonable, or fanatical in opinion; excessively zealous) · uk збо́чений (very extreme, unreasonable, or fanatical in opinion; excessively zealous) · be шалёны (affected with rabies) · fi raivotautinen (of or pertaining to rabies, or hydrophobia) · cs vzteklý (affected with rabies) · fi raivoisa (furious; raging; extremely violent) · ast rabiáu (furious; raging; extremely violent) · pt furioso (furious; raging; extremely violent) · bg бесен (of or pertaining to rabies, or hydrophobia) · gl doente (furious; raging; extremely violent) · de Tollwut- (of or pertaining to rabies, or hydrophobia) · de rabiat (furious; raging; extremely violent) · uk скаже́ний (very extreme, unreasonable, or fanatical in opinion; excessively zealous)