Word of the Day

: March 16, 2025

rife

adjective RYFE

What It Means

Rife usually describes things that are very common and often—though not always—bad or unpleasant. Rife is also commonly used in the phrase “rife with” to mean “copiously supplied” or “having a large amount of; full of.” Unlike most adjectives, rife is not used before a noun.

// Speculation about who would be sent to the new office had been rife for weeks.

// The writer's history was rife with scandal.

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rife in Context

“At a time when TV viewers have infinitely more choices than they have ever had, networks and streaming platforms need to find ways to stand out and to make those viewers feel special. So their overriding goal is to make fans feel as if they’re being brought inside the shows they like. DVD features were once rife with this kind of thing, from behind-the-scenes footage to commentary tracks and blooper reels, all of which made their way straight to YouTube.” — Don Aucoin, The Boston Globe, 2 Jan. 2025

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.