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
Julie Goldenberg, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Antisemitism remains rife, with Jews regularly harassed by both law enforcement and civilians.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2025
As fan speculation continues to run rife online, Noel Gallagher has shared whether Oasis will switch up the setlist on the band’s Live ‘25 Tour.
—Sophie Williams, Billboard, 26 Aug. 2025
The parasite — the larva of the New World screwworm fly — can devastate cattle herds and is rife in parts of Central America and Mexico.
—Patrick Smith, NBC news, 25 Aug. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Rife.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rife. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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rife
adjective
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