wreck

1 of 2

noun

1
: something cast up on the land by the sea especially after a shipwreck
2
a
b
: the action of wrecking or fact or state of being wrecked : destruction
c
: a violent and destructive crash
was injured in a car wreck
3
a
: a hulk or the ruins of a wrecked ship
b
: the broken remains of something wrecked or otherwise ruined
c
: something disabled or in a state of ruin or dilapidation
the house was a wreck
also : a person or animal of broken constitution, health, or spirits
he's a nervous wreck

wreck

2 of 2

verb

wrecked; wrecking; wrecks

transitive verb

1
: to cast ashore
2
a
: to reduce to a ruinous state by or as if by violence
a country wrecked by war
ambition wrecked his marriage
b
c
: to ruin, damage, or imperil by a wreck
wrecked the car
3
: bring about, wreak
wreck havoc

intransitive verb

1
: to become wrecked
2
: to rob, salvage, or repair wreckage or a wreck

Examples of wreck in a Sentence

Noun This car has never been in a wreck. The stress of her final exams made her a wreck. Dad was a nervous wreck on the day I had my surgery. Verb I wrecked my mother's car. Many houses were wrecked by the hurricane. The affair wrecked his marriage. Bad weather wrecked our vacation.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
These will not wreck vehicles like an anti-tank mine, but are powerful enough to destroy a tire and leave a vehicle immobilized for FPVs or bomber drones to finish off. David Hambling, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024 Papa Abdoulaye Diallo, 24, pleaded guilty in August to two counts of first-degree reckless homicide in connection with a devastating April 23 wreck that killed John and Barbara Zablocki. Chris Ramirez, Journal Sentinel, 17 Oct. 2024
Verb
The migration scenes also highlight humanity’s capacity for resilience, with shots of a radical new city that people have built to sustain themselves in a world presumably wrecked by fossil fuels. Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2024 One family in Burnsville was one of the many whose homes were wrecked with mud. Emily Hallas, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 20 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for wreck 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wreck.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English wrec, wrek, borrowed from Anglo-French wrek & Medieval Latin wreccum, borrowed from Old Norse *wrek, rek, going back to *wrek-a- "something driven," derivative of Germanic *wrekan- "to drive out" — more at wreak

Verb

Middle English wrekkyd (past participle), probably derivative of wrek wreck entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of wreck was in the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near wreck

Cite this Entry

“Wreck.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wreck. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

wreck

1 of 2 noun
1
: goods cast upon the land by the sea after a shipwreck
2
3
: the action of wrecking
4
: a destructive crash
was injured in a car wreck
5
: the broken remains of something wrecked or ruined
6
: something in a state of ruin or decay
the old house was a wreck
7
: a person in poor health or spirits

wreck

2 of 2 verb
1
a
: to reduce to a state of ruin by or as if by violence
a country wrecked by war
jealousy wrecked their friendship
2
: to damage or ruin by a wreck
wrecked the car

More from Merriam-Webster on wreck

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