wreck
Origin of wreck
synonym study for wreck
OTHER WORDS FROM wreck
un·wrecked, adjectiveWORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH wreck
wreak, wreckWords nearby wreck
MORE ABOUT WRECK
What does wreck mean?
To wreck something is to destroy, ruin, or severely damage it.
Itâs commonly used in the context of the destruction of physical objects, as in He wrecked the car when he hit the tree.Â
Nonphysical things can also be wrecked, as in Tomâs 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.Â
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.Â
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 wrĂŠkĂŠ. 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 damagedânot 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 whoâs an emotional wreck is not OKâtheyâre emotional state has been greatly broken or damaged.
Did you know ... ?
What are some other forms related to wreck?
What are some synonyms for wreck?
What are some words that share a root or word element with wreck?Â
What are some words that often get used in discussing wreck?
What are some words wreck may be commonly confused with?
How is wreck used in real life?
Wreck is commonly used as both a noun and a verb.
âWe cannot allow invasive species to wreck the balance that we need to maintain.â #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