wreck

[ rek ]

noun

1. any building, structure, or thing reduced to a state of ruin.
2. wreckage, goods, etc., remaining above water after a shipwreck, especially when cast ashore.
3. the ruin or destruction of a vessel in the course of navigation; shipwreck.
4. a vessel in a state of ruin from disaster at sea, on rocks, etc.
5. the ruin or destruction of anything:

   the wreck of one's hopes.

6. a person of ruined health; someone in bad shape physically or mentally:

   The strain of his work left him a wreck.

verb (used with object)

1. to cause the wreck of (a vessel); shipwreck.
2. to involve in a wreck.
3. to cause the ruin or destruction of:

   to wreck a car.

   Synonyms: shatter, devastate, destroy

4. to tear down; demolish:

   to wreck a building.

5. to ruin or impair severely:

   Fast living wrecked their health.

verb (used without object)

1. to be involved in a wreck; become wrecked:

   The trains wrecked at the crossing.

2. to act as a wrecker; engage in wrecking.

wreck

/ rɛk /

verb

1. to involve in or suffer disaster or destruction
2. tr to cause the wreck of (a ship)

noun

1. 1. the accidental destruction of a ship at sea
   2. the ship so destroyed
2. maritime law goods cast ashore from a wrecked vessel
3. a person or thing that has suffered ruin or dilapidation
4. the remains of something that has been destroyed
5. old-fashioned.
   the act of wrecking or the state of being wrecked; ruin or destruction

Other Words From

• un·wrecked adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of wreck¹

First recorded in 1200–50; (noun) Middle English wrec, wrech, wrek, from Old Danish wrækæ “wreck”; (verb) late Middle English, derivative of the noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of wreck¹

C13: from Scandinavian; compare Icelandic rek. See wrack ², wreak

Synonym Study

See spoil.

Example Sentences

Even with its impressive rainy-day fund, its state budget is a wreck.

From Time

Right now I’m much more casual about my hair being a wreck or whatever.

From Vox

This one shows the percent of bottom-dwelling fish from each wreck that are roughly a certain length.

From Science News For Students

Ultimately, the design promises to reduce the profound rotational forces that slam brain tissue into the skull during a wreck.

From Popular-Science

The wreck occurred on the opening lap as drivers were making their first moves and Grosjean’s car made contact with Daniil Kyvat’s at the third turn of the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir.

From Washington Post

Or for the first time, if you missed the glorious train-wreck that was the Sex Pistols.

From The Daily Beast

Big Bird's honest reaction will emotionally wreck you in a way even The Fault in Our Stars can't.

From The Daily Beast

Given such a multi-vehicle car wreck, voters have understandably tuned out and turnout is expected to be extremely low.

From The Daily Beast

We love a train wreck because it makes us feel better about our own problems.

From The Daily Beast

The first car wreck that followed is a funny story about our teenage years that we truly enjoy telling.

From The Daily Beast

She saw in the chair a thin, broken figure, a drawn brown face, a wreck of a man.

From Project Gutenberg

An old horse, with traces hanging and harness a wreck, stands snorting beside the boy.

From Project Gutenberg

The gale still lasted, and the steamer was in momentary danger of becoming a complete wreck.

From Project Gutenberg

In passing round Cape Flinders, there appeared to be a considerable diminution in the remains of the Frederick's wreck.

From Project Gutenberg

Many years ago, while a clergyman on the coast of Cornwall was in the midst of his sermon, the alarm was given, A wreck!

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• batter
• decimate
• demolish
• destroy
• devastate
• impair
• injure
• mangle
• mar
• ravage
• raze
• ruin
• sabotage
• shatter
• sink
• smash
• spoil
• torpedo
• trash
• undermine

More About Wreck

What does wreck mean?

To wreck something is to destroy, ruin, or severely damage it.

It’s commonly used in the context of the destruction of physical objects, as in He wrecked the car when he hit the tree. 

Nonphysical things can also be wrecked, as in Tom’s poor planning wrecked his chances of finishing his homework in time to go to baseball practice.

Wreck is also commonly used as a noun referring to something that has been destroyed or turned into a ruin, such as a building, as in All that was left of the house after the fire was a burnt wreck. 

Wreck is often used figuratively to describe a person who is in bad health or who is emotionally or mentally unwell, as in Stress reduces him to a nervous wreck. 

Wreck is also used in a more specific way to refer to sunken or destroyed ships, as in The diver went to the bottom of the sea to explore the wreck. The word shipwreck means the same thing.

The word wreckage refers to the remains of something that has been wrecked.

Example: I cried so much at the end of that movie that I was an emotional wreck for the rest of the day.

Where does wreck come from?

The first records of the word wreck come from the early 1200s. It comes from the Old Danish wrækæ. The words wrack (as in wrack and ruin) and wreak (as in wreak havoc) are related.

Both the noun and verb senses of wreck typically involve things being ruined, destroyed, or violently damaged—not just slightly damaged or messed up. A car wreck involves a crash that damages the car beyond repair. A wrecking ball is used to demolish buildings. When rain wrecks your plans for a day outside, it ruins them and forces you to do something else. A person who’s an emotional wreck is not OK—they’re emotional state has been greatly broken or damaged.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to wreck?

• unwrecked (adjective)
• wreckage (noun)
• wrecker (noun)

What are some synonyms for wreck?

• destroy
• ruin
• demolish
• devastate
• smash
• shambles

What are some words that share a root or word element with wreck? 

• shipwreck
• train wreck
• wrecking ball
• wrack
• wreak

What are some words that often get used in discussing wreck?

• ruined
• destruction
• devastation
• ship
• car
• train
• emotional
• nervous

What are some words wreck may be commonly confused with?

• wreak

How is wreck used in real life?

Wreck is commonly used as both a noun and a verb.

“We cannot allow invasive species to wreck the balance that we need to maintain.” #higov #InvasiveSpecies

— Neil Abercrombie (@neilabercrombie) March 3, 2014

There are few things sadder than seeing a boy you once IDOLISED turned into a wreck of his former self.

— Victoria Finan (@victoriafinan) February 7, 2013

 

I'm getting old because after Godzilla wrecked the city in the new movie, I said, "Well whose taxes are gonna rise to clean this mess up?"

— Wil Herrmuth (@ItsJustOneL) May 18, 2014

Try using wreck!

Which of the following words is a synonym of wreck?

A. create
B. destroy
C. build
D. infect