wreak
[reek]
- to inflict or execute (punishment, vengeance, etc.): They wreaked havoc on the enemy.
- 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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Origin of wreak
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
Synonyms
See more synonyms for wreak on Thesaurus.com1. visit, vent, unleash.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for wreak
Contemporary Examples
The mother also made a plea to the violent ones who wreak such havoc.
They eat more than 500 kinds of plants and could wreak havoc if released into the North American environment.
Daniel Gross on how the shutdown could wreak havoc on a key part of the U.S. economy.
Why didn't God empower the Israelites to wreak vengeance on their enemies who were evil people?
This summer's punishing heat wave could wreak havoc on grocery bills.
Historical Examples
It had gripped savagely hold of him and was about to wreak upon him some terrific hurt.
White FangJack London
Here was some thing, not wood nor iron, upon which to wreak his hate.
White FangJack London
Roderic was inflamed with anger and disgust; but he had none, upon whom to wreak his revenge.
ImogenWilliam Godwin
And to think that you should be the man on whom he was to wreak his treachery.
The Night RidersRidgwell Cullum
Is there, then, no way to wreak the just revenge of a broken heart?
Recollections of Dante Gabriel RossettiT. Hall Caine
wreak
- to inflict (vengeance, etc) or to cause (chaos, etc)to wreak havoc on the enemy
- to express, or gratify (anger, hatred, etc)
- archaic to take vengeance for
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Word Origin
Old English wrecan; related to Old Frisian wreka, Old High German rehhan (German rächen), Old Norse reka, Latin urgēre to push
xref
See wrought
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for wreak
v.
Old English wrecan "avenge," originally "to drive, drive out, punish" (class V strong verb; past tense wræc, past participle wrecen), from Proto-Germanic *wrekanan (cf. Old Saxon wrekan, Old Norse reka, Old Frisian wreka, Middle Dutch wreken "to drive, push, compel, pursue, throw," Old High German rehhan, German rächen "to avenge," Gothic wrikan "to persecute"), from PIE root *werg- "to work, to do" (cf. Lithuanian vergas "distress," vergas "slave;" Old Church Slavonic vragu "enemy;" Latin urgere; see urge (v.)). Meaning "inflict or take vengeance," with on, is recorded from late 15c.; that of "inflict or cause (damage or destruction)" is attested from 1817.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper