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.
Examples of rife in a Sentence
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
Rumors have been rife for months that Lee is ready to exit following the departure last summer of Jonathan Akeroyd, the chief executive officer who hired him.
—Samantha Conti, WWD, 21 Feb. 2025
Speculation is rife on whether the US-Russia talks could yield a softening of sanctions, but no concrete proposals have yet been made.
—Reuters, CNN, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rife
Cite this Entry
“Rife.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rife. Accessed 9 Mar. 2025.
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rife
adjective
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