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. 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”

Example Sentences

Which was so typical: the bumbling mammals wreaking havoc, even when no havoc was intended.

From Literature

For Zhengyang Wang, who was part of a team of researchers who published a report on the ant trade in 2023 focusing on China, this is a worry and could "wreak havoc" with local ecosystems.

From BBC

Digital asset traders are no doubt aware of the potential impacts higher oil prices linked to the war could wreak on the global economy.

From Barron's

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

Its capacity to wreak havoc in the U.S. economy then, is limited, he says.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• bring about
• inflict
• unleash
• wreck