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
Helen Regan, CNN, 2 July 2024
The potential for strategic miscommunication between China and the United States is rife because of the limited interaction between the two sides.
—Odd Arne Westad, Foreign Affairs, 13 June 2024
The notion of wealthy, card-carrying liberals racing to replace a racist statue in service of a security deposit is rife for satire, which has never really been Curb’s bag.
—Larry Fitzmaurice, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2024
The consequences of the Brexit referendum, around which misinformation was rife, bear out that criticism.
—Amanda Taub, New York Times, 6 June 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 15 Jul. 2024.
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rife
adjective
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