rabidlyadv.

?1611 G. Chapman in tr. Homer Iliads iii. 48 From this immediatly and most rabidly he ranges to Vlysses reprehension, for killing the woers with his bow.

1735 E. Packe Answer to Dr. Turner's Let. 29 While he thus rabidly provokes Persecution, he knows not what Spirit he is of.

1764 G. Grenville Wallet 8 Some stop should be put to the ruinous plan of dissipation and bloodshed, so wildly and rabidly carrying on by a minister.

1798 R. Hamilton Remarks Hydrophobia (ed. 2) I. 201 They frequently describe diseases as if they were rabidly hydrophobic, where the body was solely under the power of this passion.

1836 Times 29 June 5/4 The Upper House of Parliament was rabidly assailed by this now ‘polite letter-writer’ but a few weeks ago.

1847 C. Brontë Jane Eyre II. i. 16 A plain, unvarnished tale, showing how I had rejected the real and rabidly devoured the ideal.

1875 A. W. Kinglake Invasion of Crimea V. vi. 280 Men shouting and rabidly yelling.

1917 H. A. Jones Pacifists Dedication To the tribe of Wordsters, Pedants, Fanatics, and Impossibilists, who so rabidly pursued an ignoble peace, that they helped to provoke a disastrous war.

1942 E. Paul Narrow Street xxxvi. 323 Pierre..started sending affectionate notes to certain homosexual French officers who were rabidly anti-Left.

1996 Mail on Sunday 28 Apr. (Financial Suppl.) 2/4 Young and Vallance pursued the idea for a couple of years, but Ross was rabidly opposed to the plan.