wreck

Meaning

Noun

1. Something or someone that has been ruined.
2. The remains of something that has been severely damaged or worn down.
3. An event in which something is damaged through collision.
4. (specifically) An event in which something is damaged through collision.
5. (uncountable) Goods, etc. cast ashore by the sea after a shipwreck.
6. A large number of birds that have been brought to the ground, injured or dead, by extremely adverse weather.

Verb

1. (transitive) To destroy violently; to cause severe damage to something, to a point where it no longer works, or is useless.
2. (transitive) To ruin or dilapidate.
3. (obsolete, transitive) To plunder goods from wrecked ships.
4. (Australia, transitive) To dismantle wrecked vehicles or other objects, to reclaim any useful parts.
5. (transitive) To involve in a wreck; hence, to cause to suffer ruin; to balk of success, and bring disaster on.
6. (intransitive) To be involved in a wreck; to be damaged or destroyed.

Synonyms

ruin

destroy

demolish

spoil

crash

shipwreck

damage

destruction

collapse

devastate

disrupt

break

wreckage

smash

sabotage

accident

ravage

pull down

wrack

fall

shatter

perdition

mar

overthrow

doom

mess up

downfall

remains

destruct

subvert

confuse

sink

tear down

blight

bust up

ruination

ruins

total

perish

quash

kill

🔪🩸👤

bring down

lay waste

break up

disassemble

degrade

breakdown

disaster

crush

crock

Translations

Wrack

épave

distruggere

relitto

arruinar

καταστρέφω

ruiner

rovinare

ερείπιο

ruïneren

Schiffbruch

naufrage

ναυάγιο

zerstören

naufragio

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈɹɛk/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: wrek

Cognate with Old English: wrecan

Cognate with English: wreak

Cognate with Old High German: rehhan

Cognate with Old Saxon: wrekan

Cognate with Gothic: 𐍅𐍂𐌹𐌺𐌰𐌽

In summary

From Middle English wrek, from Anglo-Norman wrek, from Old Norse *wrek (Norwegian and Icelandic rek, Swedish vrak, Danish vrag), from Proto-Germanic *wrekaną, whence also Old English wrecan (English wreak), Old High German rehhan, Old Saxon wrekan, Gothic 𐍅𐍂𐌹𐌺𐌰𐌽 (wrikan).

Sentences

The wreck occurred by the bank on Main Street .