rife

Meaning

Adj

1. Widespread, common, prevalent, current (mainly of unpleasant or harmful things).
2. Abounding; present in large numbers, plentiful.
3. Full of (mostly unpleasant or harmful things).
4. (obsolete) Having power; active; nimble.

Adv

Plentifully, abundantly.

Synonyms

prevalent

widespread

prevailing

predominant

current

common

plethoric

usual

overabundant

popular

dominant

general

generalized

generic

heaped

numerous

packed

plentiful

public

riddled

ubiquitous

universal

up-to-date

in vogue

abundantly

packed-out

brimful

broad

bursting

constituted

crammed

customary

everywhere

fashionable

frequent

full

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ɹaɪf/

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”).