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Rife vs Rile - What's the difference?

rife | rile |

As an adjective rife

is widespread, common (especially of unpleasant or harmful things).

As an adverb rife

is plentifully, abundantly.

As a verb rile is

to make angry.

rife

English

Adjective

(er)
  • Widespread, common (especially of unpleasant or harmful things).
    • Smallpox was rife after the siege had been lifted.
  • * Arbuthnot
    • Before the plague of London, inflammations of the lungs were rife and mortal.
  • * Milton
    • The tumult of loud mirth was rife .
  • * 1900 , Sigmund Freud, The Interpretation of Dreams'', ''Avon Books , (translated by James Strachey) pg. 170:
    • The 'denominational considerations' mentioned below relate, of course, to anti-Semitic feeling, which was already rife in Vienna during the last years of the nineteenth century.
  • * 2013 , Daniel Taylor, Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic climbs highest to sink Benfica'' (in ''The Guardian , 15 May 2013)[http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2013/may/15/benfica-chelsea-europa-league]
    • They will have to reflect on a seventh successive defeat in a European final while Chelsea try to make sense of an eccentric season rife with controversy and bad feeling but once again one finishing on an exhilarating high.
  • Abounding; present in large numbers, plentiful.
    • These woodlands are rife with red deer.
  • (obsolete) Having power; active; nimble.
  • * J. Webster
    • What! I am rife a little yet.

    Adverb

    (en adverb)
  • Plentifully, abundantly.
    • The snowdrops grow rife on the slopes of Mount Pembroke.

    Anagrams

    * ----

    rile

    English

    Verb

    (ril)
  • to make angry
  • *{{quote-news
    • , year=2011 , date=October 20 , author=Michael da Silva , title=Stoke 3 - 0 Macc Tel-Aviv , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=Riled by a decision that went against him, Ziv kicked his displaced boot at the assistant referee and, after a short consultation between the officials, he was given his marching orders and the loudest cheer of the night.}}
  • to stir or move from a state of calm or order
    • Money'' ''problems'' rile ''the underpaid worker every day .
    Mosquitoes buzzing in my ear really rile me.
    It riles me that she never closes the door after she leaves.

    Synonyms

    * aggravate * anger * annoy * irritate * vex

    Derived terms

    * to get riled up - to become angry

    Anagrams

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