W. E. B. Du Bois
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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 long history. We continue to use the word for negative things, especially those that are widespread or prevalent. Examples are "shoplifting was rife" or "the city was rife with greed and corruption." Rumors and speculation are also frequently described as "rife." But rife can also be appropriately used for good or neutral things. For example, you might speak of the summer garden being "rife" with scents.
Synonyms
Examples of rife in a Sentence
Alexander Smith, NBC News, 11 Mar. 2024
After the aborted mutiny in late June, speculation has been rife about the future of the mercenary group that provided one of the most capable elements of Russian forces fighting in Ukraine.
—Yuras Karmanau The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 30 Sep. 2023
Corruption in these countries is rife and offers both financial rewards and impunity for those leaders and armed groups who have captured government bureaucracies.
—Renad Mansour, Foreign Affairs, 26 Mar. 2024
Speculation has been rife that the group may have received assistance from abroad, which, if proven, could raise the specter of a wider regional war.
—Abbas Al Lawati, CNN, 9 Oct. 2023
Bad luck had forced him out of two previous races minutes before the start, and speculation was rife that he might be demoted after some disappointing performances.
—Hikari Hida, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2023
In countries like Libya with no singular nationwide administration, where corruption is rife and public infrastructure is often an afterthought, efforts from prediction to prevention are made less reliable, analysts said.
—Ziad Jaber, NBC News, 21 Sep. 2023
Most of us had already given up on these debts, especially given that corruption was rife inside this program.
—Elias Ferrer, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2024
There is no panic in Belgorod, but tension and paranoia are rife.
—Francesca Ebel, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rife.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Middle English ryfe, from Old English rȳfe; akin to Old Norse rīfr abundant
12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing rife
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Cite this Entry
“Rife.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rife. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
rife
adjective
More from Merriam-Webster on rife
Nglish: Translation of rife for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of rife for Arabic Speakers
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