rife

[ rahyf ]

/ raɪf /

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adjective

of common or frequent occurrence; prevalent; in widespread existence, activity, or use: Crime is rife in the slum areas of our cities.

current in speech or report: Rumors are rife that the government is in financial difficulty.

abundant, plentiful, or numerous.

abounding (usually followed by with).

Nearby words

rifacimento, rifampicin, rifampin, rifamycin, rifaʿiya, rife, riff, riffage, riffle, riffler, riffola

Origin of rife

before 1150; Middle English; Old English rīfe; cognate with Middle Dutch rijf abundant, Old Norse rīfr

SYNONYMS FOR rife

3 plenteous, multitudinous; teeming, swarming.

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ANTONYMS FOR rife

3 scarce.

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Related forms

rife·ly, adverbrife·ness, nouno·ver·rife, adjectiveun·rife, adjective

Can be confused

rife ripe (see synonym study at ripe)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for rife

The banlieue setting is rough and rife with violence and drug trafficking.
‘Girlhood’: Coming of Age in France’s Projects|Molly Hannon|November 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
(Referenda tend to be expensive, rife with misinformation, and favorable to extreme positions).
Is It Time to Take a Chance on Random Representatives?|Michael Schulson|November 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Adding insult to injury for these ethnically distinct residents, discrimination and racism are rife on a daily basis.
Hong Kong Demonstrators Reject Racism|Ben Leung|October 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It is all a result of segregated communities where illiteracy is rife and the men think they can get away with anything.
The Psychology of Sex Slave Rings|Charlotte Lytton|August 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The years between 26 and 34 are rife with those kinds of life changes so heavy they earn moniker of “milestones.”
Adult Women Are the New Face of ADHD|Rae Jacobson|June 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I do not expect to find the disturbance that is rife in Paris, said Irma Lentz shortly.
Ruth Fielding Homeward Bound|Alice B. Emerson
Concerning Manchuria and all the issues involved in the present struggle for its possession, all kinds of misconceptions are rife.
Where Half The World Is Waking Up|Clarence Poe
The old-time fear of Lee's superior ability that was rife among the officers of the Army of the Potomac had entirely disappeared.
Recollections of the Civil War|Charles A. Dana
There was some violence, and plundering was rife; though many of the men paid for what they took.
In the Russian Ranks|John Morse
A great bustle was rife in the little parlor of the "Fountain Head."
The Tree of Knowledge|Mrs. Baillie Reynolds

British Dictionary definitions for rife

rife

/ (raɪf) /

adjective (postpositive)

of widespread occurrence; prevalent or currentrumour was rife in the village

very plentiful; abundant

(foll by with) abounding (in)a land rife with poverty

Derived Forms

rifely, adverbrifeness, noun

Word Origin for rife

Old English rīfe; related to Old Norse rīfr generous, Middle Dutch rīve

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012