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rife

adjective
\ ˈrīf How to pronounce rife (audio) \

Definition of rife

1 : prevalent especially to an increasing degree suspicion and cruelty were rife— W. E. B. DuBois
2 : abundant, common
3 : copiously supplied : abounding —usually used with with rife with rumors
Other Words from rife Synonyms Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about rife

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Other Words from rife

rife adverb
rifely adverb

Did You Know?

English is rife with words that have Germanic connections, many of which have been handed down to us from Old English. Rife is one of those words. Not a whole lot has changed with rife in its 900-year history. We continue to use the word, as we have since the 12th century, for negative things, especially those that are widespread or prevalent. Typical examples are "shoplifting was rife" or "the city was rife with greed and corruption." Rumors and speculation are also frequently described as "rife," as well. But rife can also be appropriately used, as it has been for hundreds of years, for good or neutral things. For example, you might speak of "the summer garden, rife with scents."

Examples of rife in a Sentence

Speculation about who would be fired ran rife for weeks. a city government that is rife with malfeasance and corruption

Recent Examples on the Web

 Reardon’s arrest is the second time a young man was arrested in the Youngstown area for a threat posted on a social media page that was rife with extremist right-wing content. — Eric Heisig, cleveland.com, "Ohio white nationalist charged with threatening Jewish community center, feds say," 29 Aug. 2019 Past meetings between the nations — Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the U.S. — have been rife with tension. — NBC News, "Trump says world leaders 'getting along very well' at G-7 summit despite trade tensions," 25 Aug. 2019 Misunderstandings have been rife in a region that had never experienced an Ebola outbreak until now, and years of rebel attacks have left many residents wary of outsiders. — Washington Post, "World Digest: June 4, 2019," 4 June 2019 Reports linking the Swiss head coach with a move to Signal Iduna Park have been rife in recent weeks, and the club have now finally confirmed his arrival. — SI.com, "Borussia Dortmund Announce Lucien Favre as New Head Coach Ahead of 2018/19 Season," 22 May 2018 Dial-a-murder schemes rife in fierce battle for council posts Cops crippled in fight against brazen hits, says ANC leader Politics around South Africa’s third-biggest city, Durban, can be a murderous affair. — Sam Mkokeli, Bloomberg.com, "Politics Can Be Murderous in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal," 1 Mar. 2018 But, the registry has been rife with irregularities. — Fox News, "After Epstein death, glaring loopholes in national sex offender registry raise concerns," 16 Aug. 2019 The collection that Kerr had spent more than $100,000 building up — balls and bats signed by Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle and other baseball greats — was rife with items declared not genuine. — NBC News, "Foul Ball: Did a NJ man get duped into buying $100K in bogus sports memorabilia?," 9 Aug. 2019 And Massachusetts political circles are rife with speculation that a bigger name could jump in. — Victoria Mcgrane, BostonGlobe.com, "‘The era of waiting your turn is being dismantled’: Democrats line up to run for Congress in Mass.," 7 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'rife.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of rife

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for rife

Middle English ryfe, from Old English rȳfe; akin to Old Norse rīfr abundant

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More Definitions for rife

rife

adjective
How to pronounce rife (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of rife

: very common and often bad or unpleasant

See the full definition for rife in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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More from Merriam-Webster on rife

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with rife

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for rife

Spanish Central: Translation of rife

Nglish: Translation of rife for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of rife for Arabic Speakers

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