Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

wreck en · NOUN

Pronunciation

/ˈɹɛk/
rĕk
/ˈɹæk/ (dialectal, obsolete)
(US) audio
răk (dialectal, obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English wrek, from Anglo-Norman wrek, from Old Norse *wrek (whence Norwegian rek, Icelandic rek, Swedish vrak, Danish vrag), from Proto-Germanic *wrekaną (“to pursue”, whence Old English wrecan (English wreak), Old Saxon wrekan, Old High German rëhhan, Gothic 𐍅𐍂𐌹𐌺𐌰𐌽 (wrikan)), from Proto-Indo-European *wreg- (“to track; to hunt; to follow”).

Meanings

Something or someone that has been ruined.
- He was an emotional wreck after the death of his wife.
The remains of something that has been severely damaged or worn down.
- To the fair haven of my native home, / The vvreck of vvhat I was, fatigued I come, […] 1782, William Cowper, “Retirement”, in Poems, London: […] J[oseph] Johnson, […], →OCLC, page 277:
- In 2006, 18-year-old Nikki Catsouras was killed in a car wreck in Lake Forest. 2015 July 16, Rob Hayes, “Santa Monica nonprofit pushing Google for 'Right to be Forgotten'”, in KABC-TV:
An event in which something is damaged through collision.
- Its intellectual life was thus able to go on amidst the wreck of its political life. 1883, John Richard Green, The Conquest of England:
- Hard and obſtinate, / As is a rocke amidſt the raging floods: / gaynſt vvhich a ſhip of ſuccour deſolate, / doth ſuffer vvreck both of her ſelfe and goods. 1595, Edmunde Spenser [i.e., Edmund Spenser], “[Amoretti.] Sonnet LVI”, in Amoretti and Epithalamion. […], London: […] [Peter Short] for William Ponsonby, →OCLC, signature [D5], verso:
- the wrecks of matter and the crush of worlds 1712 (date written), [Joseph] Addison, Cato, a Tragedy. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], published 1713, →OCLC, Act V, scene i, page 57:
(specifically) An event in which something is damaged through collision. ▸ A shipwreck: an event in which a ship is heavily damaged or destroyed.
(uncountable) Goods, etc. cast ashore by the sea after a shipwreck.
- 2. ... Wreck includes the cargo, stores and tackle of a vessel and all parts of a vessel separated from the vessel, and the property of persons who belong to, are on board or have quitted a vessel that is wrecked, stranded or in distress at any place in Canada. 1985, “Criminal Code (R.S.C., 1985, c. C-46)”, in Justice Canada, retrieved 09 Sep 2021:
A large number of birds that have been brought to the ground, injured or dead, by extremely adverse weather.
- [I]n 1952 more than 7,000 were involved in such a "wreck" in Britain and Ireland. 1988, Michael Cady, Rob Hume, editors, The Complete Book of British Birds, page 89:

Forms

Spelling	Features	Labels	Source
wrecks	Number=Plur		lexicographic

Deriveds

wreck car · nervous wreck · catch wreck · wreck of the Hesperus · shipwreck · wreck havoc · train wreck · nerve-wreck · car wreck · wreck shop · wreck grab · wreck yard

Synonyms

basket case, mess · ruins · crash

Translations (89)

fi romu (remains) · es choque (collision) · es siniestro (collision) · no vrak (remains) · ro dărâmătură (remains) · sv sammanstötning (collision) · ro avarie (collision) · fi kolari (collision) · fi raato (remains) · mww tsoo (collision) · bg отломки (remains) · ro ruină (remains) · it carretta (remains) · pl wypadek (collision) · sv krock (collision) · sh òlupina (remains) · it resti (remains) · it relitto (ruined object or person) · ro epavă (ruined object or person) · de Zusammenstoß (collision) · hu roncs (remains) · ro accident (collision) · pt destroço (remains) · pl wrak (ruined object or person) · ru ава́рия (collision) · fi jäännökset (remains) · de Wrack (remains) · es guiñapo (ruined object or person) · es accidente (collision) · nl botsing (collision) · bg останки (remains) · sv vrak (remains) · fr accident (collision) · ar تَصَادُّم (collision) · it rovine (remains) · de Schrotthaufen (ruined object or person) · ro coliziune (collision) · mk хава́рија (collision) · nl wrak (ruined object or person) · it disastro (collision) · he גרוטאה (collision) · pl wrak (remains) · ja 衝突 (collision) · de Schrottkiste (ruined object or person) · hu karambol (collision) · ko 충돌 (collision) · bg ава́рия (collision) · fi yhteentörmäys (collision) · mww tsoo (ruined object or person) · sv krasch (collision) · mk оста́тоци (remains) · es colisión (collision) · es paletazo (collision) · fi törmäys (collision) · es cacharro (ruined object or person) · it relitto (remains) · mk о́станки (remains) · eo vrako (remains) · fi ihmisraunio (ruined object or person) · pt choque (collision) · ca ruïna (ruined object or person) · ja 荒廃 (ruined object or person) · ro ruină (ruined object or person) · cs vrak (remains) · de Schrott (ruined object or person) · tr enkaz (ruined object or person) · cmn 碰撞 (collision) · mk кр́нтија (remains) · it rottame (ruined object or person) · ja 残骸 (remains) · fi hylky (remains) · bg развалина (ruined object or person) · it colabrodo (remains) · it carcassa (remains) · es trasto (ruined object or person) · fr carcasse (remains) · fi raunio (ruined object or person) · cmn 破坏 (ruined object or person) · sv vrak (ruined object or person) · es desastre (collision) · cmn 残骸 (remains) · pl kolizja (collision) · bg руина (ruined object or person) · ja 敗残 (ruined object or person) · it rottame (remains) · de Wrack (ruined object or person) · izh raakki (remains) · it collisione (collision) · fr épave (ruined object or person)

wreck en · VERB

Pronunciation

/ˈɹɛk/
rĕk
/ˈɹæk/ (dialectal, obsolete)
(US) audio
răk (dialectal, obsolete)

Etymology

Meanings

(transitive) To destroy violently; to cause severe damage to something, to a point where it no longer works, or is useless.
- Supposing that they saw the king's ship wrecked. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:
- That adulterous hussy wrecked my marriage!
- He wrecked the car in a collision.
(transitive) To ruin or dilapidate.
(obsolete, transitive) To plunder goods from wrecked ships.
(Australia, transitive) To dismantle wrecked vehicles or other objects, to reclaim any useful parts.
(transitive) To involve in a wreck; hence, to cause to suffer ruin; to balk of success, and bring disaster on.
- Weak and envy'd, if they should conspire, / They wreck themselves, and he hath his Desire. 1595, Samuel Daniel, “(please specify the folio number)”, in The First Fowre Bookes of the Ciuile Wars between the Two Houses of Lancaster and Yorke, London: […] P[eter] Short for Simon Waterson, →OCLC:
(intransitive) To be involved in a wreck; to be damaged or destroyed.
- […] Mrs. Marleen Ketchum was not quite certain if the train wrecked or if the volcano blew its top. It took a moment before she was certain it had to be the passenger train. 2020, Marti Talbott, McShane's Bride, page 112:

Forms

Spelling	Features	Source
wrecked	Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part	lexicographic
wrecked	Tense=Past	lexicographic
wrecks	Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres	lexicographic
wrecking	Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part	lexicographic

Antonyms

produce · build · construct · make

Deriveds

check yourself before you wreck yourself · wrecker · bewreck · wreck the hoose juice · wreckage

Translations (66)

sv skrota (to dismantle wrecked objects) · fr ruiner (to cause severe damage) · hu rombol (to ruin) · gl arruinar (to ruin) · es joder (to cause severe damage) · la perdō (to ruin) · fi romuttaa (to cause severe damage) · es estropear (to cause severe damage) · es arruinar (to cause severe damage) · fi särkeä (to cause severe damage) · ru разруша́ть (to ruin) · el καταστρέφω (to ruin) · fi tuhota (to ruin) · ja めちゃめちゃにする (to cause severe damage) · ja めちゃめちゃにする (to ruin) · ro ruina (to ruin) · cmn 破坏 (to cause severe damage) · es arruinar (to ruin) · mww tsoo (to dismantle wrecked objects) · ru разру́шить (to ruin) · ro dărăpăna (to ruin) · ro părăgini (to ruin) · bg унищожавам (to ruin) · ja ばらす (to dismantle wrecked objects) · sv fördärva (to cause severe damage) · sv krascha (to cause severe damage) · eu hondatu (to ruin) · eo detrui (to ruin) · az dağıtmaq (to ruin) · nl beschadigen (to cause severe damage) · ota بالطهلامق (to cause severe damage) · ja 解体する (to dismantle wrecked objects) · tr harap etmek (to ruin) · pt estragar (to ruin) · it distruggere (to cause severe damage) · es destruir (to cause severe damage) · ja 打ち壊す (to cause severe damage) · nl ontmantelen (to dismantle wrecked objects) · el καταστρέφω (to cause severe damage) · mww tsoo (to cause severe damage) · it rovinare (to ruin) · tr viran etmek (to ruin) · eo detrui (to cause severe damage) · bg разбивам (to cause severe damage) · ca arruinar (to ruin) · sv grusa (to ruin) · ro avaria (to cause severe damage) · io naufrajigar (to cause severe damage) · fi särkeä (to ruin) · es echar a perder (to cause severe damage) · ro distruge (to cause severe damage) · it smantellare (to dismantle wrecked objects) · ja 破壊する (to cause severe damage) · cmn 毁掉 (to ruin) · fi romuttaa (to dismantle wrecked objects) · nl verwoesten (to ruin) · bg руинирам (to ruin) · ja 打ち壊す (to ruin) · fi tuhota (to cause severe damage) · nl slopen (to cause severe damage) · nl ruïneren (to ruin) · fr bousiller (to cause severe damage) · fr ruiner (to ruin) · eo ruinigi (to cause severe damage) · mww tsoo (to ruin) · ja 荒廃させる (to ruin)