Wreck — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˈrek/

Meaning & Definition of Wreck

Wreck (noun)

  1. something cast up on the land by the sea especially after a shipwreck
  2. shipwreck
  3. the action of wrecking or fact or state of being wrecked, destruction

Wreck (verb)

  1. to cast ashore
  2. to reduce to a ruinous state by or as if by violence
  3. shipwreck

Wreck (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. the portion or bits of something left over or behind after it has been destroyed

    "found the wreck of the ship lying on the floor of the ocean"

    similar: ashes, debris, detritus, flotsam, remains, residue, rubble, ruins, wreckage
    related: jetsam, leavings, remnant, chaff, deadwood, dross, dust, garbage, junk, litter, refuse, riffraff, rubbish, scrap, trash, waste

  2. the destruction or loss of a ship

    "the wreck cost the insurance company millions of dollars"

    similar: shipwreck, shipwrecking, wreckage, wrecking
    related: beaching, grounding, stranding, foundering, sinking, scuttling
    near: recovery, salvage, salvaging

  3. the violent coming together of two bodies into destructive contact

    "a dangerous stretch of roadway that has been the scene of numerous car wrecks"

    similar: collision, concussion, crack-up, crash, smash, smashup
    related: accident, pileup, demolishment, destruction, ruin

Wreck (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to cause irreparable damage to (a ship) by running aground or sinking

    "many an unwary captain has wrecked his ship on the shoals that surround the island"

    similar: shipwreck, strand
    related: beach, founder, scuttle
    near: recover, salvage

  2. to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of

    "most of the furniture on the ground floor was wrecked by the floodwaters"

    similar: annihilate, cream, decimate, demolish, desolate, destroy, devastate, do in, extinguish, nuke, pull down, pulverize, raze, rub out, ruin, shatter, smash, tear down, total, vaporize, waste, wrack
    related: beat, best, clobber, conquer, crush, defeat, drub, lick, master, overbear, overcome, overmatch, prevail (over), rout, scotch, skunk, subdue, surmount, thrash, trim, triumph (over), trounce, wallop, whip, win (against), blast, blow up, break, cripple, damage, deface, deteriorate, disfigure, disintegrate, dissolve, dynamite, harm, impair, injure, mangle, mar, mutilate, spoil, vitiate, erode, scour, sweep (away), wash out, wear (away), dilapidate, disassemble, dismantle, gut, take down, unbuild, undo, unmake, blot out, efface, eradicate, expunge, exterminate, extirpate, liquidate, obliterate, remove, root (out), snuff (out), stamp (out), wipe out, despoil, havoc, loot, pillage, plunder, ravage, sack, trample, trash, vandalize, assassinate, butcher, cut down, dispatch, execute, fell, kill, kill off, massacre, mow (down), murder, slaughter, slay, take out, zap
    opposite: build, construct, erect, put up, raise, rear, set up
    near: doctor, fix, mend, patch, recondition, repair, revamp, create, invent, assemble, fabricate, fashion, forge, form, frame, make, manufacture, mold, produce, shape, bring about, constitute, establish, father, found, institute, organize, conserve, preserve, protect, save, rebuild, reconstruct, remodel, renovate, restore

Related Entry: Nervous wreck (phrase)

Nervous wreck is a different word from Wreck. The synonyms below are for nervous wreck, not for wreck.

  1. a person who is inclined to worry

    "Between her upcoming deadlines and a baby on the way, Nellie is a nervous wreck."

    similar: handwringer, nervous Nellie, worrier, worrywart
    related: defeatist, fatalist, pessimist
    near: optimist, Pollyanna

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Wreck

The most common words with a similar meaning to Wreck:

ashes, debris, detritus, flotsam, remains, residue, rubble, ruins, wreckage, shipwreck, shipwrecking, wrecking, collision, concussion, crack-up, crash, smash, smashup, strand, annihilate, cream, decimate, demolish, desolate, destroy, devastate, do in, extinguish, nuke, pull down, pulverize, raze, rub out, ruin, shatter, tear down, total, vaporize, waste, wrack

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Wreck

Words with the opposite meaning of Wreck:

build, construct, erect, put up, raise, rear, set up

Related Words for Wreck

jetsam, leavings, remnant, chaff, deadwood, dross, dust, garbage, junk, litter, refuse, riffraff, rubbish, scrap, trash, beaching, grounding, stranding, foundering, sinking, scuttling, accident, pileup, demolishment, destruction, beach, founder, scuttle, beat, best

Near Antonyms of Wreck

recovery, salvage, salvaging, recover, doctor, fix, mend, patch, recondition, repair, revamp, create, invent, assemble, fabricate, fashion, forge, form, frame, make, manufacture, mold, produce, shape, bring about, constitute, establish, father, found, institute

Word Forms of Wreck

Inflections: wrecked, wrecking, wrecks

Origin & Etymology of Wreck

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" wreak

First known use: 12th century

Words & Phrases Containing Wreck

train wreck, nervous wreck

Frequently Asked Questions about Wreck

What does "Wreck" mean?

"Wreck" means something cast up on the land by the sea especially after a shipwreck. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: something cast up on the land by the sea especially after a shipwreck. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Wreck"?

Other words for "Wreck" include ashes, debris, detritus, flotsam, remains, residue, rubble and ruins. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Wreck" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Wreck"?

There are 162 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Wreck". Common alternatives include ashes, debris, detritus, flotsam, remains, residue, rubble, ruins, wreckage and shipwreck.

What is the opposite of "Wreck"?

Antonyms of "Wreck" include build, construct, erect, put up, raise, rear and set up. Near antonyms include recovery, salvage, salvaging and recover.

How do you use "Wreck" in a sentence?

Examples of "Wreck" in a sentence: "found the wreck of the ship lying on the floor of the ocean"; "the wreck cost the insurance company millions of dollars"; "a dangerous stretch of roadway that has been the scene of numerous car wrecks".

Is "Wreck" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Wreck" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Wreck"?

"Wreck" is pronounced /ˈrek/.

What is the origin of the word "Wreck"?

"Wreck" comes from 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" wreak. First known use: 12th century.