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wreck
[rek]
noun
any building, structure, or thing reduced to a state of ruin.
wreckage, goods, etc., remaining above water after a shipwreck, especially when cast ashore.
the ruin or destruction of a vessel in the course of navigation; shipwreck.
a vessel in a state of ruin from disaster at sea, on rocks, etc.
the ruin or destruction of anything.
the wreck of one's hopes.
a person of ruined health; someone in bad shape physically or mentally.
The strain of his work left him a wreck.
verb (used with object)
to cause the wreck of (a vessel); shipwreck.
to involve in a wreck.
to cause the ruin or destruction of.
to wreck a car.
Synonyms: , ,to tear down; demolish.
to wreck a building.
to ruin or impair severely.
Fast living wrecked their health.
wreck
/ ɛ /
verb
to involve in or suffer disaster or destruction
(tr) to cause the wreck of (a ship)
noun
the accidental destruction of a ship at sea
the ship so destroyed
maritime law goods cast ashore from a wrecked vessel
a person or thing that has suffered ruin or dilapidation
the remains of something that has been destroyed
old-fashionedthe act of wrecking or the state of being wrecked; ruin or destruction
Other Word Forms
- unwrecked adjective
Word History and Origins
Origin of wreck1
Word History and Origins
Origin of wreck1
Synonym Study
Example Sentences
SNP MSP Kevin Stewart said: "The Tories wrecked our economy, presided over soaring household bills and ripped Scotland from the EU against our will."
He said: "It is hard to find the words to describe the scenes of vitriol and hatred on our streets," adding that is "mindless violence that is simply wrecking communities".
But like a car wreck on the side of the highway, it was also a disturbing sign of the madcap world Wilson now inhabited.
Premiership Rugby bosses say that a proposed rebel breakaway rugby circuit targeting some of the league's top stars is fundamentally flawed, and would wreck the pathway producing new talent.
Spain's Policia Nacional said the gang used 11 so-called narco boats to smuggle the drugs across the Atlantic in a complex operation that involved using an abandoned wreck at sea as a refuelling platform.
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Related Words
When To Use
To wreck something is to destroy, ruin, or severely damage it.It’s commonly used in the context of the destruction of physical objects, as in He wrecked the car when he hit the tree. Nonphysical things can also be wrecked, as in Tom’s 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. 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. 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.
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