rife

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   Widespread, common, prevalent, current (mainly of unpleasant or harmful things).

   Smallpox was rife after the siege had been lifted.

2. 2
   adj

   Abounding; present in large numbers, plentiful.

   Red deer are rife in these woodlands.

3. 3
   adj

   Full of (mostly unpleasant or harmful things).

   Many post-colonial governments were rife with lawlessness and corruption.

4. 4
   adj

   Having power; active; nimble.

   What! I am rife a little yet.

5. 5
   adv

   Plentifully, abundantly.

   The snowdrops grow rife on the slopes of Mount Pembroke.

6. 6
   adj

   excessively abundant

7. 7
   adj

   most frequent or common

Etymology

From Middle English rife, from Old English rīfe, rȳfe (“rife, abundant, frequent”), from Proto-West Germanic *rīb, from Proto-Germanic *rībaz (“generous”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁reyp- (“to tear (off), rip”). Cognate with West Frisian rju (“rife, much”), Dutch rijf (“abundant, copious”), Low German rive (“abundant, munificent”), Icelandic rífur (“rife, munificent”), Faroese ríviligur (“plentiful, abundant”), Faroese rívan (“abundantly”), Icelandic reifa (“to bestow”).