W. E. B. Du Bois
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English is rife with words that have been handed down to us from Old English—among them, rife. It comes from the Old English adjective rȳfe and first appeared in written form in the 12th century. Its oldest meaning, still in use today, is synonymous with widespread and prevalent; it's more likely, however, than either of those to describe negative things, as in “corruption and greed were rife in City Hall.” Most often, rife is used alongside with to mean “abounding.” Although rife can be appropriately used for good or neutral things in this sense (and all senses), as in the first sentence of this paragraph, like its synonym and fellow Old English descendant lousy (from the Old English noun lūs, meaning “louse”), it tends to describe things one wishes weren’t in such copious supply.
Examples of rife in a Sentence
Bill Madden, New York Daily News, 20 June 2026
Text message scams are increasingly rife.
—David Phelan, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
Social media has been rife with stories of fans visiting the United States and discovering ranch, along with some of America's most calorie-laden condiments.
—Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 18 June 2026
This week, social media was rife with videos of fans from Argentina in Kansas City for the match against Algeria in high spirits, chanting and waving flags in places like Jack Stack Barbecue.
—Eric Adler
june 18, Kansas City Star, 18 June 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Rife.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rife. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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rife
adjective
