wrack

C2 Topic:Communication

US /ɹæk/ See IPA manual

Homophones

rack /ɹæk/

Minimal pairs

Sounds like wreck /ɛ/ vs /æ/

Freq #63187

Meanings

1

noun
Destruction or ruin (especially in the phrase 'wrack and ruin').

The once grand house had fallen into wrack and ruin.
2

verb
To cause great pain or suffering to someone (often as 'wracked with').

Her body was wracked with pain after the long illness.
3

noun
Seaweed, especially the kind washed up on the shore.

The beach was strewn with brown wrack after the storm.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · destruction or ruin... rack ruin destruction

3 noun · seaweed, especially the... sea wrack

Word family

Forms wrackedwrackingwracks

Derived forms storm-wrackedtangle-wracktidewrack

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

sea wrack
seaweed and other marine vegetation, especially larger forms

Noun + noun

Simplified etymology

Wrack means “destruction” and is related to wreck. Its variant spelling rack survives in the expression rack and ruin, describing deterioration or destruction through neglect.

Etymology

Late Middle English, from Middle Dutch wrak, ultimately related to Proto-Germanic *wrekaną (“to drive out”), the source of wreak and wreck. Doublet of vraic. Cognate with German Wrack, Old Norse rek, Danish vrag, Swedish vrak, Old English wræc); also compare Gothic 𐍅𐍂𐌹𐌺𐌰𐌽 (wrikan), 𐍅𐍂𐌰𐌺𐌾𐌰𐌽 (wrakjan, “persecute”), Old Norse reka (“drive”).

wrak Middle Dutch *wrekaną Proto-Germanic

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Communication

External links

# wrack

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** noun, verb
**IPA (US):** /ɹæk/
**Frequency rank:** 63187

## Meanings
1. Destruction or ruin (especially in the phrase 'wrack and ruin').
2. To cause great pain or suffering to someone (often as 'wracked with').
3. Seaweed, especially the kind washed up on the shore.

## Examples
- The once grand house had fallen into wrack and ruin.
- Her body was wracked with pain after the long illness.
- The beach was strewn with brown wrack after the storm.

## Derived Forms
- storm-wracked
- tangle-wrack
- tidewrack

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: wrak
- Root: *wrekaną

## Etymology
Late Middle English, from Middle Dutch wrak, ultimately related to Proto-Germanic *wrekaną (“to drive out”), the source of wreak and wreck. Doublet of vraic. Cognate with German Wrack, Old Norse rek, Danish vrag, Swedish vrak, Old English wræc); also compare Gothic 𐍅𐍂𐌹𐌺𐌰𐌽 (wrikan), 𐍅𐍂𐌰𐌺𐌾𐌰𐌽 (wrakjan, “persecute”), Old Norse reka (“drive”).

## AI Etymology
Wrack is traced through late Middle English, from Middle Dutch wrak, ultimately related to Proto-Germanic *wrekaną (“to drive out”), the source of wreak and wreck. Doublet of vraic. Cognate with German Wrack, Old Norse rek, Danish vrag, Swedish vrak, Old English wræc); also compare Gothic 𐍅𐍂𐌹𐌺𐌰𐌽 (wrikan), 𐍅𐍂𐌰𐌺𐌾𐌰𐌽 (wrakjan, “persecute”), Old Norse reka (“drive”). In present-day use, it can mean destruction or ruin (especially in the phrase 'wrack and ruin'), or to cause great pain or suffering to someone (often as 'wracked with'). Derived formations include storm-wracked, tangle-wrack, and tidewrack.

## Topics
- Communication

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