wreak

American  

[reek] / rik /

verb (used with object)

• wreaks,
  present (3rd person singular)
• wreaked,
  past participle,  past
• wreaking
  present participle

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.

---

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

---

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

Derived Forms

• wreaker
  noun

Inflected Forms

Participles

• wreaking
  present
• wreaked
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• wreak
  simple
• wreaks
  simple
• have wreaked
  perfect
• has wreaked
  perfect
• am wreaking
  progressive
• are wreaking
  progressive
• is wreaking
  progressive
• have been wreaking
  perfect progressive
• has been wreaking
  perfect progressive

Past

• wreaked
  simple
• had wreaked
  perfect
• was wreaking
  progressive
• were wreaking
  progressive
• had been wreaking
  perfect progressive

Future

• will wreak
  simple
• will have wreaked
  perfect
• will be wreaking
  progressive
• will have been wreaking
  perfect progressive

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

See Examples For:

wreak wreaks wreaked wreaking

That may not seem like much, but it’s more than enough to wreak havoc on lower-lying homes and coastal infrastructure.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026

That said, one hacker can wreak no small amount of havoc, as one compromised water system might serve tens of thousands of people.

From Slate ● Aug. 19, 2026

On the topic of vaccines that probably should be mandatory, measles continues to wreak havoc across the U.S., with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reporting 2,134 confirmed cases this year.

From Salon ● Jun. 30, 2026

The new skirmish is over concerns Anthropic’s AI could wreak havoc on global cybersecurity.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 20, 2026

Could a few pigs truly wreak this much destruction?

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

"Many deaths feared after strong earthquake wreaks havoc in southern Japan" says the paper in a separate headline, next to a birds-eye shot of a partially fallen bridge.

From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026

Garin said earlier this week that the archipelago nation also planned to boost the output of its coal-fired power plants to keep electricity costs down as the war wreaks havoc with gas shipments.

From Barron's ● Mar. 26, 2026

They won us over with their mild pomposity and aloofness, whereas Rapaport’s annoyance wreaks collateral damage like a chronically unbathed person’s odor assails bystanders.

From Salon ● Jan. 15, 2026

Participants say the air is thinner and the plunge downhill wreaks havoc on your body.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2025

Only the hireling master wreaks his will On slaves, lest rulers they become at last, And his poor hour of pride is waned and passed: The rightful lord fears never to be just.

From Poems by Muriel Stuart

Two people were in critical condition and thousands of households were without power on Tuesday after a "tornado of severe intensity" wreaked havoc in southern France, officials said.

From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026

The January 2025 wildfires that swept through Pacific Palisades wreaked devastation practically beyond belief, destroying more than 5,600 homes and businesses.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026

Extreme weather has wreaked havoc on the country's south and centre this week, with a super typhoon heading towards eastern provinces this weekend.

From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026

And you thought spiteful stepmothers wreaked havoc only in fairy tales.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026

One time, a ghoul wreaked havoc in the Apollo in the middle of a show, and Mr. Prince caught it and kept it.

From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas

Plus, Kevin Warsh is putting a September rate hike in play, and the strongest El Niño in a generation is wreaking havoc on the global economy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026

Fraser Sutherland, the group's coalition manager, said: "Climate change is already affecting people's health and well-being, livelihoods and financial stability in Scotland, with more frequent storms, floods, droughts and wildfires wreaking havoc across the country."

From BBC ● Jun. 9, 2026

And they were unaware, or unconcerned, that that chemical was wreaking havoc on the soil, weakening the trees’ defenses, leaving them extremely vulnerable to disease.

From Slate ● Apr. 20, 2026

Climate change is wreaking havoc on agriculture, bringing stronger storms, longer droughts, erratic rainfall and rising temperatures.

From Salon ● Apr. 11, 2026

Half an hour later, when we finally pull into the roped-off section of the Tokyo Dome’s side entrance, I’ve almost calmed the butterflies wreaking havoc in my stomach.

From "Warcross" by Marie Lu

Related Words

• bring about
• inflict
• unleash
• wreck