Word
shipwreck
Phoneticsship·wreck, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈʃɪpɹɛk/
UK/ʃˈɪpɹɛk/
Definitions
01the physical remains
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. the broken remains of a ship that has sunk or crashed onto rocks.
n. the physical remains of a vessel that has sunk or run aground and is no longer seaworthy.
“Divers discovered an old shipwreck at the bottom of the ocean.”
“The archaeological team spent months mapping the sixteenth-century shipwreck, carefully documenting the hull's structural decay and the scattered cargo.”
Usage
Countable in this sense.
02the event
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. an accident at sea where a ship is destroyed or sinks.
n. the event or occurrence of a ship sinking or being destroyed by running aground.
Español:naufragio
“Only three sailors survived the terrible shipwreck during the storm.”
“The historical record details a catastrophic shipwreck off the Cornish coast, attributed to a combination of gale-force winds and navigational error.”
Usage
Can be used as both a countable and uncountable noun.
03a total failure
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Literary
n. a situation that is a complete disaster or failure.
n. a state of total destruction, ruin, or irretrievable loss in a non-maritime context.
“After the main actor quit, the whole theatre production became a shipwreck.”
“The merger, once hailed as a brilliant strategic move, ultimately proved to be a financial shipwreck that cost the company millions.”
Usage
Used figuratively to describe abstract failures.
Synonyms
04to cause a wreck
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to cause a ship to sink or be destroyed, usually by accident.
v. to cause a vessel to be wrecked or destroyed through collision, grounding, or other maritime mishap.
Español:naufragar
“The hidden rocks threatened to shipwreck any boat that came too close.”
“The captain feared that the intensifying hurricane would shipwreck the fleet before they could reach the safety of the harbour.”
Usage
Often used in the passive voice ('to be shipwrecked').
Real-World Examples
“They had found a previously unknown shipwreck, built roughly 400 years ago.” “Archaeologist Gino Caspari holds an iron artifact recovered from one of the Menorca shipwrecks.” Etymology
From Middle English shipwrak, from Old English sċipwræc (“jetsam”), equivalent to ship + wrack. Cognate with Scots schip-wrak (“to shipwreck”, verb), Swedish skeppsvrak (“shipwreck”), Danish skibsvrag (“shipwreck”). Modern form is due to influence from wreck.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
- アルファベット
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/shipwreck
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0