rife
[rahyf]
- 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).
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Origin of rife
before 1150; Middle English; Old English rīfe; cognate with Middle Dutch rijf abundant, Old Norse rīfr
Synonyms
Antonyms
3. scarce.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Related Words
prevalentaliveplentifulpopularabundantrampantrepleteaboundingcommoncurrentepidemicextensivefrequentgeneralmanymultitudinousnumerousprevailingprofuseragingrife
- of widespread occurrence; prevalent or currentrumour was rife in the village
- very plentiful; abundant
- (foll by with) abounding (in)a land rife with poverty
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Word Origin
Old English rīfe; related to Old Norse rīfr generous, Middle Dutch rīve
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Word Origin and History for rifer
rife
adj.
Old English rife "abundant, common, prevalent," from Proto-Germanic *rif- (cf. Old Norse rifr, Swedish river, Norwegian riv, Middle Dutch riif, Middle Low German rive "abundant, generous"), said to be from PIE root *rei- "to scratch, tear, cut" "The prevalence of the word in early southern texts is in favour of its being native in English, rather than an adoption from Scandinavian." [OED]
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper