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wreck

UK:^*^*UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈrɛk/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/rɛk/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(rek)

wreck /rɛk/USA pronunciation n.

[countable] a building, structure, or object that has been reduced, destroyed, or greatly damaged.
ruin;
destruction:[uncountable]the wreck of our dreams.
[countable] a person of ruined physical or mental health.

v. [~ + object]

Nauticalto cause the wreck of:wrecked the car.
to tear down;
demolish:to wreck a building.

wreck (rek),USA pronunciation n.

any building, structure, or thing reduced to a state of ruin.
Nauticalwreckage, goods, etc., remaining above water after a shipwreck, esp. when cast ashore.
Nauticalthe ruin or destruction of a vessel in the course of navigation;
shipwreck.
Nauticala 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.

v.t.

Nauticalto cause the wreck of (a vessel);
shipwreck.
to involve in a wreck.
to cause the ruin or destruction of:to wreck a car.
to tear down;
demolish:to wreck a building.
to ruin or impair severely:Fast living wrecked their health.

v.i.

to be involved in a wreck;
become wrecked:The trains wrecked at the crossing.
to act as a wrecker;
engage in wrecking.

Old Danish wrækæ wreck; (verb, verbal) late Middle English, derivative of the noun, nominal
(noun, nominal) Middle English wrec, wrech, wrek 1200–50

spoil.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

wreck /rɛk/ vb

to involve in or suffer disaster or destruction
(transitive) to cause the wreck of (a ship)

- the accidental destruction of a ship at sea
- the ship so destroyed
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-fashioned the act of wrecking or the state of being wrecked; ruin or destruction

Etymology: 13th Century: from Scandinavian; compare Icelandic rek. See wrack², wreak

'wreck' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):

rack - Rich - shipwreck - smash - torpedo - varec - wrack - wreckage - below - crack - demolish - maim - pull - ruin - total - wrecker - wrecker's ball - wreckfish - wreckful - wrecking - wrecking bar - wrecking car - wrecking crane - scupper - smash-up - spoil

In Lists: Top 2000 English words, Words with a silent "w", English Class 2019-2020, more...

Synonyms: ruin, destruction, demolition, razing, breaking up, more...

Collocations: a [boat, car, plane, train] wreck, the wreck of a [boat], [survivors, casualties] of the wreck, more...

🗣️Forum discussions with the word(s) "wreck" in the title:

(Second) Conditional in Wreck-It Ralph 2012 Movie
a beautiful wreck
a big mess/wreck/*?
a car wreck/accident [in BE]
a slow train wreck
a total wreck
being a wreck
by roll call that wreck is back on the lot
difference between plane crash & plane wreck
From its own wreck the thing it contemplates...
Is there a difference between shipwreck, wreck or wreckage?
John <was always><had always been> a wreck
John <was><had been> a wreck + state
Junk/wreck/scrap/breakers' yard - yard
like passing a wreck on the freeway
line-caught, wreck-caught, etc
never saw a wreck and never have been wrecked
on nettles vs on tenterhooks vs feeling like a nervous wreck
Poor man, <mentally/mental> a wreck.
quivering wreck [? nervous wreck]
reduced to a screaming wreck
rush-hour train wreck
that gallowed every workless wreck
they kind of [verb?] : 'train wreck'
"to wreck down" instead of just "to wreck"
to wreck something, to get in a wreck, to be a wreck etc.
train reck [wreck]
train wreck
way to wreck the curve, kick-ass
We are like a foxy car wreck.
more...

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⇱ wreck - WordReference.com Dictionary of English

wreck