wreck

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun American English

n. an accident where a vehicle hits something and is badly damaged.

n. an event involving a violent collision or the destruction of a vehicle.

“Luckily, no one was seriously hurt in the car wreck on the highway.”

“The multi-car wreck blocked all three lanes of the interstate, resulting in a massive traffic jam that lasted several hours.”

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Informal

n. someone who is in very poor physical or mental condition, often because they are tired or stressed.

n. a person who has suffered a physical or emotional breakdown; often used to describe extreme exhaustion.

“After working sixteen hours straight, I was a total wreck.”

“By the end of the trial, the witness was a nervous wreck, barely able to answer the prosecutor's questions without trembling.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate

v. to damage something so badly that it cannot be used, or to spoil a plan or situation.

v. to cause the destruction of a physical object or to frustrate a plan or ambition entirely.

Español:arruinar

“The heavy rain threatened to wreck our plans for a picnic in the park.”

“The scandal threatened to wreck his political career just as he was preparing to announce his candidacy for the senate.”

C2 · Proficiency Dialect · American English

v. to take apart a damaged car or machine to save the parts that still work.

v. to dismantle a damaged vehicle or piece of machinery for the purpose of reclaiming salvageable components.

“He spent the weekend wrecking an old truck to find a working engine.”

“The business specialised in wrecking late-model European cars, supplying rare spare parts to mechanics across the state.”