Word Study
rife
CIDE DICTIONARY
rife, a. [AS. rīf abundant, or Icel. rīfr munificent; akin to OD. riff, rijve, abundant.].
- Prevailing; prevalent; abounding. [1913 Webster]"Before the plague of London, inflammations of the lungs were rife and mortal." [1913 Webster]"Even now the tumult of loud mirth
Was rife, and perfect in may listening ear." [1913 Webster] - Having power; active; nimble. [1913 Webster]"What! I am rife a little yet." [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
rife, predic.adj.
1 of common occurrence; widespread.
2 (foll. by with) abounding in; teeming with.
1 of common occurrence; widespread.
2 (foll. by with) abounding in; teeming with.
Derivative
rifeness n.
Etymology
OE ryfe prob. f. ON r{iacute}fr acceptable f. reifa enrich, reifr cheerful
THESAURUS
rife
abounding, abundant, affluent, afloat, alive with, all-sufficing, ample, aplenty, average, bandied about, besetting, bottomless, bounteous, bountiful, bristling, bruited about, bursting, common, copious, crawling, crowded, crowding, current, diffuse, dominant, effuse, epidemic, exhaustless, extravagant, exuberant, fat, fertile, flush, full, galore, generous, going about, going around, in circulation, in plenty, in profusion, in quantity, in the air, in the news, inexhaustible, jam-packed, jammed, lavish, liberal, luxuriant, made public, many, maximal, much, normal, numerous, opulent, ordinary, overflowing, packed, pandemic, plenitudinous, plenteous, plentiful, plenty, popular, populous, predominant, predominating, prevailing, prevalent, prodigal, productive, profuse, profusive, proliferating, prolific, rampant, regnant, reigning, replete, reported, rich, riotous, routine, ruling, rumored, running, running over, standard, stereotyped, studded, superabundant, swarming, talked about, teeming, thick, thick as hail, thick with, thick-coming, thronged, thronging, usual, wealthy, well-found, well-furnished, well-provided, well-stocked, whispered, whispered about, wholesale, widespreadROGET THESAURUS
rife
Generality
N generality, generalization, universality, catholicity, catholicism, miscellany, miscellaneousness, dragnet, common run, worldwideness, everyone, everybody, all hands, all the world and his wife, anybody, N or M, all sorts, prevalence, run, general, generic, collective, broad, comprehensive, sweeping, encyclopedical, widespread, universal, catholic, catholical, common, worldwide, ecumenical, oecumenical, transcendental, prevalent, prevailing, rife, epidemic, besetting, all over, covered with, Pan-American, Anglican, Pan-Hellenic, Pan-Germanic, slavic, panharmonic, every, all, unspecified, impersonal, customary, whatever, whatsoever, to a man, one and all, generally, always, for better for worse, in general, generally speaking, speaking generally, for the most part, in the long run.Influence
N influence, importance, weight, pressure, preponderance, prevalence, sway, predominance, predominancy, ascendency, dominance, reign, control, domination, pull, authority, capability, effect, interest, synergy (cooperation), footing, purchase, play, leverage, vantage ground, tower of strength, host in himself, protection, patronage, auspices, influential, effective, important, weighty, prevailing, prevalent, rife, rampant, dominant, regnant, predominant, in the ascendant, hegemonical, with telling effect, tel maure tel valet.News
N news, information, piece of news, budget of news, budget of information, intelligence, tidings, word, advice, aviso, message, dispatch, despatch, telegram, cable, marconigram, wire, communication, errand, embassy, report, rumor, hearsay, on dit, flying rumor, news stirring, cry, buzz, bruit, fame, talk, oui dire, scandal, eavesdropping, town tattle, table talk, tittle tattle, canard, topic of the day, idea afloat, bulletin, fresh news, stirring news, glad tidings, flash, news just in, on-the-spot coverage, live coverage, old story, old news, stale news, stale story, chestnut, narrator, newsmonger, scandalmonger, talebearer, telltale, gossip, tattler, journalism, media, news media, the press, the information industry, newspaper, magazine, tract, journal, gazette, publication, radio, television, ticker (electronic information transmission), United Press International, UPI, Associated Press, AP, The Dow Jones News Service, DJ, The New York Times News Service, NYT, Reuters, TASS, The Nikkei, newscaster, newsman, newswoman, reporter, journalist, correspondent, foreign correspondent, special correspondent, war correspondent, news team, news department, anchorman, anchorwoman, sportscaster, weatherman, press secretary, public relations department, public relations man, many-tongued, rumored, publicly rumored, currently rumored, currently reported, rife, current, floating, afloat, going about, in circulation, in every one's mouth, all over the town, in progress, live, on the spot, in person, as the story goes, as the story runs, as they say, it is said, by telegraph, by wireless, airy tongues that syllable men's names, what's up?, what's the latest?, what's new?, what's the latest poop?.For further exploring for "rife" in Webster Dictionary Online