Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adjective In widespread existence, practice, or use; increasingly prevalent.
- adjective Abundant or numerous.
from The Century Dictionary.
- Abundantly; plentifully.
- Plainly; clearly.
- Currently; commonly; frequently.
- Great in quantity or number; abundant; plentiful; numerous.
- Well supplied; abounding; rich; replete; filled: followed by with.
- Easy.
- Prevalent; current; in common use or acceptance.
- Publicly or openly known; hence, manifest; plain; clear.
- An obsolete form of
rive .
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- adjective Prevailing; prevalent; abounding.
- adjective obsolete Having power; active; nimble.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective Widespread, common (especially of unpleasant or harmful things).
- adjective
Abounding ; present in large numbers,plentiful . - adjective obsolete Having
power ;active ;nimble . - adverb
Plentifully ,abundantly .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adjective most frequent or common
- adjective excessively abundant
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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He glanced quizzically at his father, his expression rife with disappointment.
No Way Out Andrea Kane 2001
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The city is once again rife with crime, and even the heroes are beginning to doubt whether Gotham can survive without its guardian.
November 2009 2009
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I would appreciate if anyone can tell me how much my husbands rife is worth.
Investing in Rifles 2008
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A scope mounted that high on a fine double rife is an abomination.
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A scope mounted that high on a fine double rife is an abomination.
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"It's space, my dear," Bralla said, her expression rife with dread.
The Rowan McCaffrey, Anne 1990
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About three weeks before the battle, rumors were again rife of the coming of the rebel horde into our own fair and prosperous State.
At Gettysburg, or, What a Girl Saw and Heard of the Battle: A True Narrative 1889
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Wow...a one-off “intimidating” isn’t that a term rife with interpretations... comment and one is a felon?
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McDonald’s is a fast food chain rife with contradictions.
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I have a 45-70 1895 Marlin rife. it is bar none,. if not THEEEE most fun fire arm I have ever owned, .. it is close.
brtom commented on the word rife
This is the place, as well as I may guess,
Whence eev'n now the tumult of loud Mirth
Was rife, and perfet in my list'ning ear...
Milton, Comus
December 16, 2006
uselessness commented on the word rife
An odd word. It means common. English is rife with weird-sounding stuff like this.
August 9, 2007
sonofgroucho commented on the word rife
Yea, verily.
January 16, 2008