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
Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 13 Jan. 2025
Speculation has been rife about how these troops will fare.
—Yoonjung Seo, CNN, 17 Dec. 2024
And though Kermit should definitely play Edward, romantic interest to Elinor (and brother-in-law, yes, weird, but also rife for comedy), for Marianne’s beau, Colonel Brandon, getting another human actor would probably be best.
—Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 7 Oct. 2024
Speculation over Lopetegui’s future had been rife since November.
—Roshane Thomas, The Athletic, 8 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for rife 
Dictionary Entries Near rife
Cite this Entry
“Rife.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rife. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
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rife
adjective
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