W. E. B. Du Bois
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.
Synonyms
Examples of rife in a Sentence
Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 22 Oct. 2024
Certainly, online misinformation has been rife in the run-up to the election, with much apparently coming from foreign governments and being amplified online.
—Emma Woollacott, Forbes, 12 Sep. 2024
Drug use is rife and addiction makes reoffending more likely.
—Harriet Marsden, theweek, 12 July 2024
Conjecture has been rife on social media about the meaning behind the street artist’s recent series of animals plastered around London over the last week.
—George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 11 Aug. 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.
Dictionary Entries Near rife
Cite this Entry
“Rife.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rife. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
rife
adjective
Share