wreak

American  

[reek] / rik /

verb (used with object)

1. to inflict or execute (punishment, vengeance, etc.).

   They wreaked havoc on the enemy.

   Synonyms:

   unleash, vent, visit, inflict, impose

2. to carry out the promptings of (one's rage, ill humor, will, desire, etc.), as on a victim or object.

   He wreaked his anger on the office staff.

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idioms

1. wreak havoc. see wreak havoc.

wreak British  

/ riːk /

verb

1. to inflict (vengeance, etc) or to cause (chaos, etc)

   to wreak havoc on the enemy

2. to express, or gratify (anger, hatred, etc)

3. archaic to take vengeance for

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Usage

What’s the difference between wreak and reek? Wreak means to inflict or carry out something, especially something harmful—it’s most commonly used in the phrase wreak havoc, meaning to cause chaos or destruction or both. Reek most commonly means to give off a strong, unpleasant odor, as in Your socks reek, dude. While wreak is only ever used as a verb, reek can also be used as a noun meaning a strong, unpleasant smell, though this use is much less common. Wreak is always used with an object, usually some negative effect, as in The storm is expected to wreak destruction throughout the region. Reek usually functions without an object, though in some cases it is followed by the word of and the particular smell, as in It reeks of onions in here. This is also the case when reek is used in a more figurative way meaning to be penetrated or saturated with something negative, as in This case reeks of corruption. Wreak and reek are pronounced exactly the same, so it can be hard to remember which one is which, but you can remember that wreak begins with a w because it is often used in the context of things getting wrecked. Here’s an example of wreak and reek used correctly in the same sentence. Example: I like cooking with leeks, but my wife thinks they reek and says they wreak havoc on her ability to smell anything else. Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between reeking and wreaking.

Other Word Forms

• wreaker
  noun

Etymology

Origin of wreak

First recorded before 900; Middle English wreken, Old English wrecan; cognate with German rächen “to avenge,” Old Norse reka “to drive, avenge,” Gothic wrikan “to persecute”; akin to Latin urgēre “to drive, push”

Explanation

To wreak is to cause something to happen, usually with a terrible consequence. You can make mischief, cause problems, or inflict pain, but to wreak damage suggests a deeper level of destruction. Wreak stems from the Old English wrecan, meaning "to avenge." Its current meaning, that of causing something to happen — usually with dire consequences — came about in the 19th century. The word is a transitive verb, often paired with the equally intense havoc, meaning "devastation."

Example Sentences

If there was a theme for me in drafting, it was Those That Shall Wreak Vengeance, but seven episodes in there’s been little to no wreaking at all.

From The Verge • Jun. 6, 2016

Wreak havoc or save lives, the choice is yours.

From Time Magazine Archive

Wreak thy rage, if faith divine So offends thee, upon me, Not upon my chastity:— 'T is a virtue purer far Than the light of sun or star, And has ne'er offended thee.

From The Two Lovers of Heaven: Chrysanthus and Daria A Drama of Early Christian Rome by MacCarthy, Denis Florence

Wreak thy will on me for saying it!

From The White Rose of Langley A Story of the Olden Time by Holt, Emily Sarah

Wreak and spend Your force on all these dwellings.

From Mercy Philbrick's Choice by Jackson, Helen Hunt

Related Words

• bring about
• inflict
• unleash
• wreck