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# wreck

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** verb, noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈɹɛk/
**Frequency rank:** 4504

## Meanings
1. To damage or destroy something badly so that it no longer works.
2. A vehicle, ship, or building that has been badly damaged or destroyed.
3. A person who is in very poor physical or emotional condition.
4. To ruin someone's plans, hopes, or chances of success.

## Examples
- He wrecked the car in a collision.
- The house was a wreck when they bought it.
- He was an emotional wreck after the death of his wife.
- One careless mistake wrecked her chances of winning.

## Synonyms
- crash
- ruins

## Antonyms
- build
- construct
- make
- produce

## Derived Forms
- bewreck
- nerve-wreck
- shipwreck
- wreckage
- wrecker

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

## Etymology
From Middle English wrek, from Anglo-Norman wrek, from Old Norse *wrek (Norwegian and Icelandic rek, Swedish vrak, Danish vrag), from Proto-Germanic *wrekaną, whence also Old English wrecan (English wreak), Old High German rehhan, Old Saxon wrekan, Gothic 𐍅𐍂𐌹𐌺𐌰𐌽 (wrikan).

## AI Etymology
Wreck is from Middle English wrek, from Anglo-Norman wrek, from Old Norse *wrek (Norwegian and Icelandic rek, Swedish vrak, Danish vrag), from Proto-Germanic *wrekaną, whence also Old English wrecan (English wreak), Old High German rehhan, Old Saxon wrekan, Gothic 𐍅𐍂𐌹𐌺𐌰𐌽 (wrikan). Important historical forms include Middle English wrek, Anglo-Norman wrek, Old Norse *wrek, and Proto-Germanic *wrekaną. In present-day use, it can mean to damage or destroy something badly so that it no longer works, or a vehicle, ship, or building that has been badly damaged or destroyed.

## Topics
- Transportation

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