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
Flynn Nicholls, Newsweek, 9 July 2024
Today, our editorial board brings you five in the Arizona Legislature — a place that certainly is rife for change.
—Joanna Allhands, The Arizona Republic, 8 July 2024
But the dark reality of the social media era is that misinformation about cancer is rife, with serious dangers for patients.
—David Robert Grimes, Scientific American, 1 July 2024
Other Palestinian detainees released on Monday described overcrowded detention centers where prisoners were abused, diseases were rife, and food was scarce.
—Helen Regan, CNN, 2 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for rife 
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.
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Cite this Entry
“Rife.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rife. Accessed 27 Jul. 2024.
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rife
adjective
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