1
: prevalent especially to an increasing degree
suspicion and cruelty were rifeW. E. B. Du Bois
2
3
: copiously supplied : abounding
usually used with with
rife with rumors
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 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.

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 There is no panic in Belgorod, but tension and paranoia are rife. Francesca Ebel, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 Speculation is rife that Japan's central bank is getting ready to end its super-easy monetary policy, which is below zero, and start raising interest rates. Yuri Kageyama, Quartz, 12 Mar. 2024 Europe is trying to tame a supply chain that’s fractured, low-tech, disorderly and rife for abuse by thousands of small farmers and surreptitious middlemen. Mumbi Gitau, Fortune Europe, 27 Feb. 2024 However, the road to a final vote appears winding, with expectations rife for prolonged discussions and procedural intricacies delaying a definitive decision. Jamie Joseph, Fox News, 9 Feb. 2024 The playwright Jenkins is also most concerned with the Lafayette family dynamic, and a family that screwed up is rife for comedy. Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 19 Dec. 2023 Although speculation is rife in Israel that Netanyahu will be hounded out of office soon and new elections will bring a moderate, centrist coalition to power, his survival skills are unmatched; he should never be counted out. Martin Indyk, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024 Speculation is rife that Netanyahu is hoping to use the war to cling on to power until the U.S. presidential election, which could see former president Donald Trump, a closer friend than President Biden, return to office. Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 9 Feb. 2024 Confusion is rife in stage hypnosis, especially for participants. Emily Latimer, Longreads, 25 Jan. 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

Etymology

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

First Known Use

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of rife was in the 12th century

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Dictionary Entries Near rife

Cite this Entry

“Rife.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rife. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

rife

adjective
1
: widespread sense 1, prevalent
lands where famine is rife
2
: supplied in large amounts
the town was rife with rumors
rifely adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on rife

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