wreck

noun
UK: /rek/
US: /rek/

  1. Something that has been badly damaged or destroyed.

    1. The car was a total wreck after the accident. [ ] [ ]
    2. The storm turned the beach into a desolate wreck with debris everywhere. [ ] [ ]

  2. A ship that has sunk or been very badly damaged.

    1. Divers explored the wreck of the old ship. [ ] [ ]
    2. The treasure was found near the wreck of the Spanish galleon. [ ] [ ]

  3. A person who is in a bad physical or emotional state.

    1. After the illness, he was a physical wreck. [ ] [ ]
    2. The divorce left her an emotional wreck needing time to recover. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

ruin destroy devastate spoil
wreck verb

  1. To severely damage or destroy something.

    1. The car accident wrecked my new auto. [ ] [ ]
    2. The hurricane completely wrecked the coastal town destroying homes. [ ] [ ]

  2. To spoil or ruin something completely.

    1. He wrecked my chances of getting that job. [ ] [ ]
    2. His bad behavior could wreck the company's reputation. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "wreck" in English means: Something that has been badly damaged or destroyed., A ship that has sunk or been very badly damaged., A person who is in a bad physical or emotional state..

The phonetic transcription of "wreck" is /rek/ in British English and /rek/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "wreck": ruin, destroy, devastate, spoil.

Example usage of "wreck": "The car was a total wreck after the accident.". More examples on the page.