wreck
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.the remains of a car, ship, or plane that has been badly damaged in an accident.
n.the physical remains of a vehicle, aircraft, or marine vessel that has been destroyed by collision or environmental forces.
Simple“Divers found the wreck of an old wooden ship at the bottom of the sea.”
In context“The rusted wreck of the freighter remained on the reef for decades, serving as a grim reminder of the treacherous coastal currents.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
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.
Simple“Luckily, no one was seriously hurt in the car wreck on the highway.”
In context“The multi-car wreck blocked all three lanes of the interstate, resulting in a massive traffic jam that lasted several hours.”
- 03 C1 Advanced
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.
Simple“After working sixteen hours straight, I was a total wreck.”
In context“By the end of the trial, the witness was a nervous wreck, barely able to answer the prosecutor's questions without trembling.”
- 04 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.
Simple“The heavy rain threatened to wreck our plans for a picnic in the park.”
In context“The scandal threatened to wreck his political career just as he was preparing to announce his candidacy for the senate.”
- 05 C2 Proficiency
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.
Simple“He spent the weekend wrecking an old truck to find a working engine.”
In context“The business specialised in wrecking late-model European cars, supplying rare spare parts to mechanics across the state.”
UsageCommonly used in the context of 'wrecking yards' or 'auto wreckers'.
“The submarine is one of the wrecks that Katrine Juul Andresen, a professor at the Department of Geoscience at Aarhus University, helped investigate as part of the major research project NorthSeaWrecks.”
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).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.