What does "wrack" mean?
Vengeance; revenge; persecution; punishment; consequence; trouble.
Wrack
/ɹæk/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Vengeance; revenge; persecution; punishment; consequence; trouble.
- Grammar: wrack is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: agonize, algae, annihilate, autophyte.
- Useful contrasts: assist, cleanliness, comfort.
- Usage evidence: Therefore, in sign her treasure suffered wrack, Since Hero's time hath half the world been black.
How to use "wrack"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "wrack" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "wrack" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "wrack" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "wrack" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "wrack" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "agonize" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "wrack", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Vengeance; revenge; persecution; punishment; consequence; trouble. archaic, dialectal, literary
- 2 Remnant from a shipwreck as washed ashore; flotsam or jetsam. archaic, countable, uncountable
- 3 dried seaweed especially that cast ashore wordnet
- 4 Ruin; destruction. archaic
"Therefore, in sign her treasure suffered wrack, Since Hero's time hath half the world been black."
- 5 The right to claim such items. archaic, countable, uncountable
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 growth of marine vegetation especially of the large forms such as rockweeds and kelp wordnet
- 7 The remains of something; a wreck.
"Lytle was already moaning in shame, fallen back in bed with his hand across his face like he'd just washed up somewhere, a piece of wrack."
- 8 Any marine vegetation cast up on shore, especially seaweed of the family Fucaceae. countable, uncountable
- 9 the destruction or collapse of something wordnet
- 10 Weeds, vegetation, or rubbish floating on a river or pond. countable, uncountable
- 11 A high, flying cloud; a rack. countable, uncountable
"A dull wrack was drifting slowly across the sky, and a star or two twinkled dimly here and there through the rifts of the clouds."
Verb
- 1 To execute vengeance on; avenge. UK, dialectal, transitive
- 2 To wreck, especially a ship. transitive
"Nor did the croakers have long to wait. The second night after the drowning of the mate the little yacht was suddenly wracked from stem to stern. About one o’clock in the morning there was a terrific impact that threw the slumbering guests and crew from berth and bunk. A mighty shudder ran through the frail craft; she lay far over to starboard; the engines stopped."
- 3 smash or break forcefully wordnet
- 4 To worry; tease; torment. UK, dialectal, transitive
- 5 Alternative form of rack (“to cause to suffer pain, etc.”). alt-of, alternative
"It marked her first performance in over four years after revealing that her body had been wracked with painful spasms following her diagnosis with the rare and chronic neurological disorder."
Antonyms
Example
"Therefore, in sign her treasure suffered wrack, Since Hero's time hath half the world been black."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "wrack"?
Common synonyms include: agonize, algae, annihilate, autophyte, bean, bloodbath.
How do you use "wrack" in a sentence?
Therefore, in sign her treasure suffered wrack, Since Hero's time hath half the world been black.
How do you pronounce "wrack"?
Pronounced /ɹæk/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English wrake, wrache, wreche, from a merger of Old English wracu, wræc (“misery, suffering”) and Old English wrǣċ (“vengeance, revenge”). See also wrake.
Etymology 2
Late Middle English, from Middle Dutch wrak, ultimately related to Proto-Germanic *wrekaną (“to drive out”), the source of wreak and wreck. Doublet of vraic. Cognate with German Wrack, Old Norse rek, Danish vrag, Swedish vrak, Old English wræc); also compare Gothic 𐍅𐍂𐌹𐌺𐌰𐌽 (wrikan), 𐍅𐍂𐌰𐌺𐌾𐌰𐌽 (wrakjan, “persecute”), Old Norse reka (“drive”).