Rabid means carrying rabies, or fanatical to the point of unreason. A rabid dog, a rabid fan, rabid opposition.
The medical sense is literal and rare in Britain, which has been free of rabies in land animals for a century. The figurative sense is much commoner and always hostile: a rabid supporter is one whose enthusiasm has stopped being rational. Note rabies, which is the same Latin word for raving; and that rabid is pronounced with a short a, though a long one is widely heard.
1adjectiverabidCarrying the disease rabies.
“A rabid fox was found in the park, and dog owners were warned to be careful.”
2adjectivefanaticalFanatical to the point of unreason.
“Rabid fans of the band camped outside the venue for three days.”
rabid is a quality of madness or fanaticism.
Latin rabidus comes from rabere, to rave or be mad. Rabies, rage and enrage all come from the same raving.
Latin
rabidus
English, today
rabid
Built from
Borrowed from Latin rabidus. From the Latin rabidus, from rabiō (“to rave”).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA
Practised in A Song of Ice and Fire