wreak

Meaning

Verb

1. To cause harm; to afflict; to inflict; to harm or injure; to let out harm.
2. To chasten, or chastise/chastize, or castigate, or punish, or smite.
3. To inflict or take vengeance on.
4. To take vengeance for.
5. Misspelling of reek.

Noun

1. Revenge; vengeance; furious passion; resentment.
2. Punishment; retribution; payback.

Concepts

wreak

inflict

cause

give rise to

pose

provoke

result in

bring

play

do

cause to take place

hold

organize

stage

make for

work

bring round

decide

determine

fix

induce

move

persuade

set

settle

talk round

act as agent

act as go-between

deliver

get

procure

provide

purvey

supply

carry out

enact

execute

implement

perform

put through

transact

enforce

fine

impose

necessitate

pall

perpetrate

have

seize

take

put out

bear

bring out

carry

derive

fetch

generate

give

manufacture

output

pay

produce

realise

return

set up

turn out

utter

yield

force

avenge

reprisal

retaliation

retribution

revenge

revengement

self-redress

talion

ultion

vengeance

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ɹiːk/

Etymology

From Middle English wreken, from Old English wrecan, from Proto-West Germanic *wrekan, from Proto-Germanic *wrekaną, from Proto-Indo-European *wreg- (“push, shove, drive, track down”). Cognate via Proto-Germanic with Dutch wreken, German rächen, Swedish vräka; cognate via PIE with Latin urgēre (English urge), and distantly cognate with English wreck.