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 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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
When faced with extreme challenges, the rumor mill is rife, so providing real facts and decision points is critical to ensuring that employees know what is changing and why instead of speculating. Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes, 13 Mar. 2025 Rumor-mongering is rife, with anyone and everyone weighing in on contract negotiations that are supposed to be confidential. Joelle Diderich, WWD, 4 Mar. 2025 Wall Street investors regularly financed slaving expeditions, and bribery of customs officers and juries was rife. Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2025 Speculation about when the season would move ahead has been rife since Sky Deutschland pulled out of original content in July 2023. Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 24 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for rife

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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Cite this Entry

“Rife.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rife. Accessed 18 Mar. 2025.

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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