# rife

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ɹaɪf/ · frequency rank #23,975

## Definitions
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. Having power; active; nimble.

## 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”).

## Easily confused with
- **Rio** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rife-vs-rio)
- **rip** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rife-vs-rip)
- **rig** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rife-vs-rig)
- **rim** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rife-vs-rim)
- **rue** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rife-vs-rue)
- **rye** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rife-vs-rye)
- **roe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rife-vs-roe)
- **rin** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rife-vs-rin)
- **rit** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rife-vs-rit)
- **risk** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rife-vs-risk)
- **rule** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rife-vs-rule)
- **rose** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rife-vs-rose)
- **ring** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rife-vs-ring)
- **rise** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rife-vs-rise)
- **Rome** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rife-vs-rome)
- **rude** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rife-vs-rude)
- **riot** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rife-vs-riot)
- **rope** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rife-vs-rope)
- **rode** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rife-vs-rode)
- **Rita** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rife-vs-rita)

## Common misspellings (5)
`irfe`, `rfie`, `rief`, `riffe`, `rrife`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/rife