wreak

verb

ˈrēk 

also

ˈrek 

wreaked; wreaking; wreaks

transitive verb

1

: bring about, cause

wreak havoc

2

a

: to cause the infliction of (vengeance or punishment)

b

archaic : avenge

3

: to give free play or course to (malevolent feeling)

Did you know?

In its early days, wreak was synonymous with avenge, a meaning exemplified when Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus proclaims "We will solicit heaven, and move the gods / To send down Justice for to wreak our wrongs." This sense is now archaic, but the association hasn't been lost: although wreak is today most often paired with havoc, it is also still sometimes paired with vengeance. We humbly suggest you avoid wreaking either, no matter how badly you may crave your just deserts.

Examples of wreak in a Sentence

Gangs have been wreaking mayhem in the city.

Recent Examples on the Web

Long lamented the havoc wreaked on motorists, who will be affected by the partial bridge closure well into 2025. —Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 12 Dec. 2024

Climate change is wreaking carnage on natural wonders and the habitats of the world’s most spectral creatures, but the fact is, most of those wonders will still be here long after you’re gone. —Jordan Riefe, Robb Report, 2 Dec. 2024

Not at his attempts to wreak personal vengeance, reconstitute Washington root and branch, or engineer a lasting partisan realignment. —Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 1 Dec. 2024

Mullock and Woody's home in the South Wales Valleys of the U.K. was hit by flooding due to Storm Bert, which in some areas wreaked devastation on November 24, with power cuts, heavy rain and strong winds. —Rachael O'Connor, Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English wreken "to drive out, avenge, vent, express (anger, etc.)," going back to Old English wrecan "to press forward, drive out, banish, avenge, punish," going back to Germanic *wrekan- "to drive out, pursue" (whence Old Saxon wrekan "to avenge," Old High German rehhan, Old Norse reka "to drive, thrust, take vengeance," Gothic wrikan "to persecute"), of uncertain origin

Note: Placed by some under Indo-European *u̯reg- "follow a track" (whence, allegedly, Sanskrit vrajant- "wandering," Latin urgēre "to press, weigh down"), though the semantic relations between compared forms are not close.

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2b

Phrases Containing wreak

• wreak havoc

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Kids Definition

wreak

verb

ˈrēk 

: to bring down in or as if in punishment

wreak revenge on the enemy

the storm wreaked destruction