wreck1 verbwreck2 noun
wreckwreck1 /rek/ ●●○ verb [transitive] 
VERB TABLE
wreck
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | wreck |
| he, she, it | wrecks | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | wrecked |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have wrecked |
| he, she, it | has wrecked | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had wrecked |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will wreck |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have wrecked |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am wrecking |
| he, she, it | is wrecking | |
| you, we, they | are wrecking | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was wrecking |
| you, we, they | were wrecking | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been wrecking |
| he, she, it | has been wrecking | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been wrecking |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be wrecking |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been wrecking |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Bulldozers were brought in to wreck the tents and shacks that protesters had put up.
- Glen drove right into a tree and wrecked his car.
- He came home drunk again, threatening to wreck the apartment.
- His confrontational speech has wrecked any chances of a peace settlement.
- Ron's affair wrecked our marriage.
- The bank robbers wrecked Stan's car trying to get away from police.
- The two years in prison wrecked Jarvis' marriage.
- They had stolen a car and wrecked in on the freeway.
- According to security sources, massive bombs which wrecked neighbouring towns, had been destined for Portadown.
- But the charges wrecked his campaign.
- Frelimo's Central Committee reported that by 1989, 45 percent of all primary schools had either been closed or wrecked.
- Lindsay had solved the problem of trailering the stallions together by temporarily wrecking their communication through their sense of smell.
- Now the wrecking is over, but in the post-Reagan economy, the scabs are still everywhere.
- Such a storm had wrecked Mardonios' fleet off Athos twelve years before.
- The bomb was between us and the exit; it would probably blow in a moment, and wreck the whole bar.
- Think of it this way: Two people are wrecked on an island and one of them is fated to be murdered.
THESAURUS
to damage something so badly that it no longer exists or cannot be used or repaired: · The earthquake almost completely destroyed the city.· The twin towers were destroyed in a terrorist attack.
to damage a large area very badly and destroy many things in it: · Allied bombings in 1943 devastated the city.· The country’s economy has been devastated by years of fighting.
to completely destroy a building, either deliberately or by accident: · The original 15th century house was demolished in Victorian times.· The plane crashed into a suburb of Paris, demolishing several buildings.
to destroy a building or town by knocking it down, bombing it etc, so that nothing is left standing: · The town centre was flattened by a 500 lb bomb.
to deliberately damage something very badly, especially a room or building: · The toilets had been wrecked by vandals.· They just wrecked the place.
informal to deliberately destroy a lot of the things in a room, house etc: · Apparently, he trashed his hotel room while on drugs.
formal to destroy a place so completely that nothing remains: · The nuclear blast obliterated most of Hiroshima.
to destroy a building or town completely: · The town was reduced to rubble in the First World War.
to spoil something completely, so that it cannot be used or enjoyed: · Fungus may ruin the crop.· The new houses will ruin the view.
Longman Language Activatorto destroy an area or place to damage something so badly that it cannot be repaired: · The earthquake destroyed much of the city.· In Brazil the rainforests are gradually being destroyed.· The factory was almost completely destroyed by fire.
to cause so much damage over a large area that most of the buildings, trees, and crops there are destroyed: · A huge explosion devastated the downtown area last night.· The country has been devastated by floods.· Years of war have devastated this island nation.
to deliberately damage a building or room very badly: · He came home drunk again, threatening to wreck the apartment.· Bulldozers were brought in to wreck the tents and shacks that protesters had put up.
if an area such as a town or forest is flattened all the buildings or trees there are destroyed by bombs, storms etc: · It will cost $400 million to rebuild the houses that were flattened in the fighting.be flattened by: · Thousands of miles of woodland were flattened by storms last month.
to destroy a place so completely that nothing remains, and it is difficult to see or imagine what was once there: · Entire sections of the city were obliterated by the repeated bombing.· Frequent flooding eventually obliterated all traces of the community that used to live there.
if a place or an area is ravaged by war, fire etc, it is very badly damaged and a lot of it is destroyed - used especially in newspapers and news reports: · The country has been ravaged by civil war for the last 10 years.· North Africa and the Middle East are regularly ravaged by plagues of locusts.
to completely destroy a building: · Their new two-storey house had been reduced to ashes in the fire.· We won't stand by while developers reduce the historic remains of the city to rubble.
informal to deliberately destroy a lot of the things in a room, house, etc: · Someone had broken in and trashed her apartment.· Band members have been accused of trashing their hotel rooms.
to destroy someone's relationships, hopes, happiness etc to destroy someone's relationships, hopes, happiness etc: · Even close relationships can be destroyed by alcoholism.· Few things destroy trust more than telling a friend's secrets.· Chandler worried that the scandal would destroy his chances for a respectable career.
to completely destroy someone's relationships, hopes, chances etc, especially by doing or saying something without thinking of the likely results: · Ron's affair wrecked our marriage.· His confrontational speech has wrecked any chances of a peace settlement.
to destroy someone's determination although they have tried hard to keep it: · Years in prison did not break Mr Mandela's spirit.· Her captors used violence and psychological torture to try to break her will.
to completely spoil or destroy someone's chances, hopes, relationship etc: · Phelps's mistake has ruined her chances of winning the championship.· Patty's ex-boyfriend is ruining our relationship.
to completely destroy a vehicle to damage a car, boat etc very badly in an accident so that it cannot be used again: · They had stolen a car and wrecked it on the freeway.· Glen drove right into a tree and wrecked his car.
British /total American to damage a vehicle, especially a car, so badly in an accident that it cannot be repaired or used again: · I totaled my car in a blizzard once, and I won't drive in the snow anymore.write off something/write something off: · She wrote her mother's car off the first time she drove it.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
a gibbering wreck (=someone who is very shocked or frightened)
1to completely spoil something so that it cannot continue in a successful way SYN ruin: a gibbering wreck (=someone who is very shocked or frightened) (=be so nervous or worried that you cannot deal with a situation)· By the end of the rehearsal I was a nervous wreck.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN· According to security sources, massive bombs which wrecked neighbouring towns, had been destined for Portadown.· Bomb wrecks Ulster hotel A bomb has wrecked a hotel in Ulster and damage neighbouring houses.
· Meanwhile, Bob Green was yesterday counting the cost of the car theft which wrecked his hopes of competing.· The car was wrecked, we had no water, and the closest town was forty miles away.
· But you and I both know all it would take to wreck your career is one errant snip of the scissors.· It was the sort of injury that could wreck a year, maybe wreck a career.· He wrecked his whole career, probably completely shredded his marriage.
· But her very presence seemed to be wrecking what chance the company had of any success.· He had wrecked his chances now.
· So tell me why you think I'd want to wreck your home?
· The tragedy has wrecked the family's life.· Not once has the driver apologised to Noreen for the accident that wrecked her life.
· This time the paper girl wrecked my plan.· The Philadelphia foursome are terrified that romance could wreck their plans for stardom.· The explanation, he says, is the fraud that has wrecked Brandmakers' financing plans.· A system that is too complex and time consuming encourages errors, undermines enthusiasm and can wreck potentially effective intervention plans.
VERB· Steps seen as draconian or unfair threaten to wreck the political process before it begins.· The Jackson-Vanik bill threatened to wreck the whole thing.
Injury threatened to wreck his sporting career. It was drink that wrecked their marriage.2to damage something such as a building or vehicle so badly that it cannot be repaired: The car was completely wrecked in the accident.► see thesaurus at destroy3if a ship is wrecked, it is badly damaged and sinks SYN shipwreck: The ship was wrecked off the coast of Africa.wreck1 verbwreck2 noun
wreckwreck2 ●●○ noun [countable] WORD ORIGINwreck2
Origin:
1200-1300 Anglo-French wrek, from a Scandinavian languageEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Divers went down to search the wreck.
- Investigators are searching the wreck for clues as to why the plane crashed.
- It's embarrassing to be seen driving that old wreck.
- Mom looked like a complete wreck after the wedding.
- Nobody could have survived the wreck.
- Ten people were injured in the wreck.
- The car was a complete wreck, but the driver escaped with minor injuries.
- Boss Mangan, the symbol of industrial and political might, is a love-stricken wreck easily manipulated by the go-getting Ellie Dunn.
- I held her, trying to appear calm and composed on the outside, a shaking wreck on the inside.
- If there were no blizzard to shut down Washington, there would still be the budget train wreck.
- She also looked like a total wreck!
- She felt an absolute wreck, yet at the same time she felt acutely self-aware.
- The wrecks massing on shore, the wrecks made of ships in open water.
- Without my exercise, I was a crying wreck.
THESAURUS
an event in which a vehicle is damaged and often someone is hurt: · Her father died in a car accident.· Hugh had an accident on his way to work.
a serious accident in which a vehicle hits something else: · Rees-Jones was the only person to survive the crash.· a car/plane/train crash· He was killed in a plane crash.
an accident in which two or more cars, trains etc hit each other: · His car was involved in a collision with a train.a head-on collision (=between vehicles that are driving towards each other): · The actor was killed in a head-on collision while driving his new sports car.
a serious accident involving a train, plane, or boat, in which a lot of people are killed or injured: · It was Britain’s worst air disaster.
American English an accident in which a car or train is badly damaged: · Ben nearly died in a car wreck.
an accident that involves several cars or trucks: · The pileup happened in thick fog.· There was a 12-car pileup on the motorway.
American English informal British English informal a car accident in which little damage is done: · Atkinson was involved in a fender-bender in the hotel parking lot.· At 15, he borrowed his parents’ car and had a prang.
Longman Language Activatorin a car, train, plane etc · The accident happened on Interstate 84, during the evening rush hour.· Brussels airport was closed today after an accident on the runway.have an accident · Teenage boys tend to drive wildly and often have accidents.bad/nasty/serious accident · As usual, the fog and icy roads had led to several very nasty accidents.fatal accident · Men have twice as many fatal accidents as women do for every mile they drive.car/road/traffic accident · Both her parents had been killed in a car accident.auto/automobile accident American · She was in an automobile accident, but she's not seriously hurt.
an accident in which a vehicle or plane hits something violently and is damaged or destroyed: · Ira Louvin was killed in a crash in Montana that also took the lives of six other people.car/plane/train crash: · Her husband died in a plane crash in 1981.
American an accident involving cars or other vehicles: · Nobody could have survived the wreck.
a serious road accident in which many cars or other vehicles crash into each other: · The pile-up happened in thick fog and caused a seven-mile tailback on the motorway.multiple pile-up British (=a pile up involving a large number of cars): · a multiple pile-up involving a minibus and five cars
a very serious accident involving a train, plane, or ship, in which many people are killed: · The city has emergency plans for dealing with a major disaster such as a rail crash.air/rail disaster: · At least 264 people died, in one of the worst civilian air disasters of all time.the Lockerbie disaster/the Challenger disaster etc: · The Challenger disaster cost the lives of seven astronauts, and set back the nation's space program for years.
an accident in which two or more vehicles, planes, or ships hit each other: collision with: · A school bus has been involved in a collision with a fuel tanker.mid-air collision (=between two planes in the air): · The risk of a mid-air collision over central London has increased dramatically.head-on collision (=between two vehicles moving directly towards each other): · These airbags are designed to protect car drivers in head-on collisions.
a place or thing that is destroyed the broken parts of a car, plane etc that has crashed: · Wreckage from the plane was scattered over a large area.· Investigators are looking through pieces of the wreckage for any clues about the crash.
the parts of a building or town that remain after it has been destroyed: · The tour will visit ancient monasteries and Roman ruins in Merida.ruins of: · Gunfire still echoed through the ruins of the city.
a ship that has been sunk, or a car that has been very badly damaged in a crash: · Divers went down to search the wreck.· The car was a complete wreck, but the driver escaped with minor injuries.
British a car that has been so badly damaged that it cannot be used again: · The car was a complete write-off - I was lucky I wasn't killed.
to be nervous informal to feel nervous about doing something that you are going to do very soon because it is important and you want to do it well: · Some actors never have butterflies before going on stage.have butterflies in your stomach: · It was the morning of the World Cup Final and most of the players had butterflies in their stomachs.
if someone is a nervous wreck , they have been made so nervous that they have completely lost all their confidence and their ability to remain calm or think sensibly: · Before the plane took off she was a nervous wreck - she had to be strapped into her seat.· Even though I'd been practicing for months, by the day of the competition I was a nervous wreck.
informal to be so nervous that you are shaking and you find it impossible to behave calmly, especially for a long time: · Since she lost her job Rosie's been a bundle of nerves.· Harry was a bundle of nerves the whole time his wife was in the hospital.
WORD SETSABS, nounacceleration, nounaccelerator, nounairbag, nounambulance, nounantifreeze, nounanti-lock braking system, nounaquaplane, verbarmoured car, nounarticulated, adjectiveauto, nounautomatic, nounautomatic transmission, nounautomobile, nounaxle, nounbackfire, verbback seat, nounbanger, nounbeater, nounbeep, verbbike, nounbiker, nounblind spot, nounblow, verbblowout, nounbody, nounbodywork, nounbonnet, nounbookmobile, nounboot, nounboot, verbbreakdown truck, nounbrights, nounbroadside, verbbulldozer, nounbumper, nounbumper sticker, nounbus, nounbus, verbbus pass, nounbus station, nouncab, nouncab rank, nouncabriolet, nouncabstand, nounCadillac, nouncar, nouncar alarm, nouncarburettor, nouncar park, nouncar pool, nouncarport, nouncarrier, nouncar wash, nounCaterpillar, nouncentral locking, nounchange, verbcharabanc, nounchoke, nounclamp, nounclunker, nouncoach station, nouncoachwork, nouncockpit, nouncompact, nouncompany car, nounconvertible, nouncorner, verbcoupé, nouncourtesy, adjectivecover note, nouncrack-up, nouncrankshaft, nouncrash helmet, nouncruise, verbcruise control, nouncruiser, nouncycle, noundashboard, noundefog, verbdefrost, verbdemist, verbdepot, noundesignated driver, noundiesel, noundiesel fuel, noundifferential gear, noundipstick, noundirt bike, noundirt track, noundisc brakes, noundisengage, verbdismount, verbdistributor, noundouble-decker, noundouble-park, verbdrag race, noundragster, noundrink-driving, noundrive, verbdrive, noundriver, noundriver's education, noundriver's license, noundrive shaft, noundrive-through, noundriving licence, noundriving school, noundriving test, noundrunk driving, noundump truck, noundune buggy, noundust cart, nounemergency brake, nounestate car, nounexcavator, nounexpress, nounfan belt, nounfare, nounfender, nounfender-bender, nounfiller cap, nounfilling station, nounfilter, nounfilter, verbfin, nounfire, verbfire engine, nounfirst gear, nounfishtail, verbflat, adjectiveflat, nounfloorboard, nounfog lamp, nounfour-star, nounfour-wheel drive, nounfreewheel, verbfuel injection, nounfull lock, noungarage, noungarage, verbgarbage truck, noungas-guzzler, noungasohol, noungasoline, noungas pedal, noungas station, noungear, noungearbox, noungear lever, noungear shift, noungear stick, nounglove compartment, noungo-cart, noungo-kart, noungreen light, noungrille, noungritter, nounguardrail, nounhack, nounhackney carriage, nounhandbrake, nounhandlebars, nounhatchback, nounhaulage, nounhazard lights, nounheadlamp, nounheadlight, nounheadroom, nounheap, nounhearse, nounheavy goods vehicle, nounHGV, nounhigh beams, nounhigh-octane, adjectiveHighway Code, nounhijacking, nounhit-and-run, adjectivehitchhike, verbhonk, nounhonk, verbhood, nounhoot, nounhoot, verbhopped-up, adjectivehorsebox, nounhorse trailer, nounhot rod, nounhot-wire, verbhubcap, nounhydroplane, verbignition, nounindicate, verbindicator, nouninner tube, nouninternal combustion engine, nounjack-knife, verbjalopy, nounJeep, nounjuggernaut, nounjump, verbjumper cables, nounjump leads, nounjump-start, verbkickstand, nounkick-start, verbkick-start, nounKlaxon, nounlead-free, adjectivelearner's permit, nounleft-hand drive, adjectivelicense plate, nounlight, nounlimo, nounlimousine, nounlocal, nounlock, verblock, nounlog book, nounlorry, nounlow gear, nounL-plate, nounmagneto, nounmanifold, nounmechanic, nounmeter maid, nounmileage, nounmileometer, nounmilk float, nounminibus, nounminicab, nounminivan, nounmisfire, verbmoped, nounMOT, nounmotocross, nounmotor, nounmotor, adjectivemotor, verbmotorbike, nounmotorcade, nounmotor car, nounmotorcycle, nounmotor home, nounmotoring, nounmotorist, nounmotorized, adjectivemotor pool, nounmotor racing, nounmotor scooter, nounmotor vehicle, nounmoving van, nounmpg, muffler, nounmulti-storey, nounnearside, adjectiveneutral, nounnumber plate, nounoctane, nounodometer, nounomnibus, nounoverdrive, nounovershoot, verbpanel, nounpanel truck, nounpantechnicon, nounpark, verbpark and ride, nounparking, nounparking brake, nounparking garage, nounparking light, nounparking lot, nounparking meter, nounparking ticket, nounpassenger seat, nounpatrol car, nounpatrolman, nounpedal, nounpenalty point, nounpetrol station, nounpick-up, nounpick-up truck, nounpillion, nounpiston ring, nounpit, nounplate, nounplug, nounpneumatic, adjectivepound, nounpower steering, nounprang, verbpremium, nounprovisional licence, nounpush-start, verbrace, verbrace car, nounracing car, nounradar trap, nounradial tyre, nounradiator, nounrank, nounrearview mirror, nounrefuel, verbreg., registration, nounregistration number, nounregular, nounremould, nounremoval van, nounrespray, verbrestraint, nounretread, nounrev, verbreverse, verbreverse, nounreverse gear, nounreversing light, nounride, nounrig, nounright-hand drive, adjectiveroad hog, nounroad rage, nounroad test, nounroadworthy, adjectiveRolls-Royce, nounroof-rack, nounrun, verbrun, nounrunabout, nounRV, nounsaloon, nounsalt truck, nounscooter, nounseat belt, nounsedan, nounself-drive, adjectiveshaft, nounshift, verbshock absorber, nounsidecar, nounsidelight, nounsideswipe, verbsilencer, nounsill, nounslick, nounslipstream, nounsnarl, verbsnarl-up, nounsnow chains, nounsnowmobile, nounsnow plough, nounsnow tire, nounsouped-up, adjectivespare, nounspare tyre, nounsparking plug, nounspark plug, nounspeedometer, nounspeed trap, nounspeedway, nounsplash guard, nounspoiler, nounsports car, nounstall, nounstart, verbstarter, nounstarter motor, nounstation wagon, nounsteamroller, nounsteering, nounstick, nounstick shift, nounstretch limo, nounsump, nounsunroof, nounsupercharged, adjectivesuspension, nountachograph, nountachometer, nountailback, nountailboard, nountailgate, nountailgate, verbtail light, nountailpipe, nountax disc, nountaxi, nountaxicab, nounteamster, nountest certificate, nountest drive, nounthree-point turn, nounthree-wheeler, nounthrottle, nounthrust, nounticket, nountie-up, nountotal, verbtowbar, nountowline, nountowtruck, nountractor, nountraffic jam, nountransmission, nountransporter, nountread, nountrolley, nountrolleybus, nountrucker, nountrucking, nountrunk, nountune, verbtune-up, nounturbocharger, nounturning circle, nounturn signal, nountwo-stroke, adjectiveunleaded, adjectivevalet, nounvalet, verbvan, nounvanity plate, nounveteran car, nounvintage car, nounvisor, nounwheelbase, nounwheel clamp, nounwhiplash, nounwhitewall, nounwindscreen, nounwindscreen wiper, nounwindshield wiper, nounwing, nounwing mirror, nounwiper, nounwreck, nounwrecker, nounwrite-off, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY The attack had left her an emotional wreck. My father died in a car wreck.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES a gibbering wreck (=someone who is very shocked or frightened)
1car/plane a car, plane, or train that has been damaged very badly, especially in a crash: The attack had left her an emotional wreck. My father died in a car wreck. a gibbering wreck (=someone who is very shocked or frightened) (=be so nervous or worried that you cannot deal with a situation)· By the end of the rehearsal I was a nervous wreck.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE· Just the thing for a twitching little nervous wreck who keeps passing out on her dinner dates.· By the time my friends left, l was a nervous wreck.· Of course, we hardly needed to say, as we made our way upstairs, that we were both nervous wrecks.· Apparently some of them nervous wrecks.· Before this watch was over she would be a nervous, screaming wreck.· It had to be learnt, if we were not to turn into nervous wrecks.· She was a nervous wreck, and all that was wrong with the child was measles.
· Ian MacDonald and he had stripped down the old wreck and searched junk yards for spare parts.· Or maybe it was just some old wreck.· All of a sudden they have kids to put through college or they're shacked up with some old wreck of a husband.
NOUN· It strode through the black rain to the car wreck in the forecourt, sensing the presence of more food.· Rain was hissing on the roof of the car wreck, fogging the scene still further.· And surely, that's what caused the 18-car wreck.· They leapt down the car wrecks and legged it across the ground towards the girl.· Something was burning out there, not in the car wreck ... but beside it.
· If there were no blizzard to shut down Washington, there would still be the budget train wreck.· And if the budget train wreck ended, there would still be -- political correctness.· The show-biz story of the decade has spawned the cinematic train wreck of 1996.
VERB· They found the wreck of the Medusa not long ago, off the coast of Mauretania.· As she found out, wrecks were an integral part of Trepassey life.
He was still alive when they pulled him from the wreck.► see thesaurus at accident2ship a ship that has sunk SYN shipwreckwreck of Divers discovered the wreck of an old German warship.3person informal someone who is very nervous, tired, or unhealthy: He looked a complete wreck.nervous/emotional wreck The attack had left her an emotional wreck.4accident American English an accident involving cars or other vehicles SYN crashcar/train/plane wreck My father died in a car wreck.5place a place that is very untidy: When you’re here, this place is a wreck!6old car informal an old car that is in a very bad condition- rural delivery
- Ruritania
- Ruritanian
- ruse
- rush
- Rushdie, Salman
- rushed
- rush hour
- Rushmore, Mount
- rusk
- Ruskin, John
- Russell, Bertrand
- Russell, Bill
- Russell, Charles
- Russell, Jane
- russet
- Russia
- Russian
- Russian Orthodox
- Russian Orthodox Church
- Russian Revolution
- Russian roulette
- Russo, Richard
- rust
- Rust Belt