W. E. B. Du Bois
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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
Niall Stanage, The Hill, 5 Apr. 2025
Children outwitting their parents in the technology stakes is clearly rife.
—John W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Apr. 2025
In a moment when economic uncertainty is rife and the fashion industry is under pressure to decelerate, normcore represents restraint.
—Zoe Bayliss Wong, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025
Especially today, when confusing and contradictory messages about racial and gender pioneers are rife, he should be celebrated as a unique and remarkable leader whose impact is still felt.
—James Stavridis, Twin Cities, 28 Mar. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Rife.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rife. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
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rife
adjective
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