Advertisement

Advertisement

View synonyms for rife

rife

[ rahyf ]

adjective

  1. of common or frequent occurrence; prevalent; in widespread existence, activity, or use:

    Crime is rife in the slum areas of our cities.

  2. current in speech or report:

    Rumors are rife that the government is in financial difficulty.

  3. abundant, plentiful, or numerous.

    Synonyms: teeming, multitudinous, plenteous

    Antonyms: scarce

  4. abounding (usually followed by with ).


rife

/ raɪf /

adjective

  1. of widespread occurrence; prevalent or current

    rumour was rife in the village

  2. very plentiful; abundant
  3. foll by with abounding (in)

    a land rife with poverty

“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
Discover More

Derived Forms

  • ˈrifely, adverb
  • ˈrifeness, noun
Discover More

Other Words From

  • rifely adverb
  • rifeness noun
  • over·rife adjective
  • un·rife adjective
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of rife1

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of rife1

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

Example Sentences

Like its counterpart at the state level, the federal death penalty system is rife with arbitrariness and discrimination.

From Salon

A big part of her coaching philosophy has been to create high-pressure situations so as to develop "mentality monsters" that were rife at Chelsea.

From BBC

In contrast Mr Gensler told the BBC in September that it was an industry “rife with fraud and hucksters and grifters”.

From BBC

From the beginning of his learning curve, Charles charges ahead with a mixture of professional determination, childlike glee and scientific precision — finding the atmosphere “rife with secrets, grudges, interpersonal issues.”

Moreover, “it is the district’s responsibility to prepare students to be able to make distinctions between news and opinion in an increasingly fractured information environment rife with misinformation, polarization and questionable sources.”

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement