English Dictionary
Definition of “rife”
rife (raɪf
)
Definitions
adjective (postpositive)
- of widespread occurrence; prevalent or current ⇒
rumour was rife in the village
- very plentiful; abundant
- (foll by with) abounding (in) ⇒
a land rife with poverty
Alternative Forms
ˈrifely adverb ˈrifeness noun Word Origin
Old English rīfe ; related to Old Norse rīfr generous, Middle Dutch rīve
Synonyms
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widespread,
abundant,
plentiful,
rampant,
general,
common,
current,
raging,
universal,
frequent,
prevailing,
epidemic,
prevalent,
ubiquitous,
Usage examples
Beneath a hot sky the stonecrop flamed gold, cow parsley, tall and flowery, ran rife.
Haines, Pamela, The Golden Lion (1986)Speculation is rife over the political motives behind Chandraswami seeking refuge in a little known astrologer.
India Today (1998)With the countdown to war intensifying, Baghdad has become rife with rumours.
Edmonton Sun (2003)Speculation was rife moneybags Chelsea were preparing a £50m bid for the 23-year-old.
Liverpool Daily Post and Echo (2003)Smuggling was rife , the system of certification for the movement of alien vines had descended into bureaucratic chaos.
Christy Campbell, PHYLLOXERA: How Wine was Saved for the World (2004)
