What does "wreck" mean?
Something or someone that has been ruined.
Wreck
/ˈɹɛk/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Something or someone that has been ruined.
- Grammar: wreck is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: crash, ruins, abrogate, accident.
- Useful contrasts: composure, function, intact.
- Usage evidence: The divers found a wreck on the sea-bed.
How to use "wreck"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "wreck" 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 "wreck" 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 "wreck" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "wreck" 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 "wreck" 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 "crash" 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 "wreck", 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 Something or someone that has been ruined.
"He was an emotional wreck after the death of his wife."
- 2 a ship that has been destroyed at sea wordnet
- 3 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, […]"
- 4 a serious accident (usually involving one or more vehicles) wordnet
- 5 An event in which something is damaged through collision.
"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."
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 an accident that destroys a ship at sea wordnet
- 7 An event in which something is damaged through collision.; A shipwreck: an event in which a ship is heavily damaged or destroyed. specifically
- 8 something or someone that has suffered ruin or dilapidation wordnet
- 9 Goods, etc. cast ashore by the sea after a shipwreck. uncountable
"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."
- 10 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."
Verb
- 1 To destroy violently; to cause severe damage to something, to a point where it no longer works, or is useless. transitive
"He wrecked the car in a collision."
- 2 smash or break forcefully wordnet
- 3 To ruin or dilapidate. transitive
- 4 To plunder goods from wrecked ships. obsolete, transitive
- 5 To dismantle wrecked vehicles or other objects, to reclaim any useful parts. Australia, transitive
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 To involve in a wreck; hence, to cause to suffer ruin; to balk of success, and bring disaster on. transitive
"Weak and envy'd, if they should conspire, / They wreck themselves, and he hath his Desire."
- 7 To be involved in a wreck; to be damaged or destroyed. intransitive
"[…] 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."
Example
"The divers found a wreck on the sea-bed."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "wreck"?
Common synonyms include: crash, ruins, abrogate, accident, annihilate, assault.
How do you use "wreck" in a sentence?
The divers found a wreck on the sea-bed.
How do you pronounce "wreck"?
Pronounced /ˈɹɛk/.
Etymology
From Middle English wrek, from Anglo-Norman wrek, from Old Norse *wrek (Norwegian and Icelandic rek, Swedish vrak, Danish vrag), from Proto-Germanic *wrekaną, whence also Old English wrecan (English wreak), Old High German rehhan, Old Saxon wrekan, Gothic 𐍅𐍂𐌹𐌺𐌰𐌽 (wrikan).