# wrecked

/ˈɹɛkt/ (US) · /ɹˈɛkt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/wrecked
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. destroyed

adjective · CEFR B2

completely destroyed or damaged so badly that it cannot be used.

For teachers: severely damaged or destroyed, typically in the context of a vehicle or structure involved in an accident.

- The car was completely wrecked after it hit the tree in the storm.
- The salvage crew determined that the vessel was too badly wrecked to be towed back to the harbour for repairs.

### 2. exhausted

adjective · CEFR B2 · Informal · British English

feeling extremely tired or worn out.

For teachers: experiencing a state of extreme physical or mental exhaustion.

- I was absolutely wrecked after working a twelve-hour shift at the hospital.
- By the end of the marathon, the runners looked completely wrecked, barely able to stand as they crossed the finish line.

### 3. intoxicated

adjective · CEFR C1 · Slang · Informal

very drunk or affected by drugs.

For teachers: severely intoxicated by alcohol or controlled substances.

- He got totally wrecked at the party and couldn't remember how he got home.
- The group spent the entire weekend getting wrecked at a music festival, oblivious to the storm clouds gathering overhead.

### 4. defeated or shamed

adjective · CEFR C1 · Slang · Informal

badly defeated in a game or embarrassed in an argument.

For teachers: utterly defeated, humiliated, or outmanoeuvred, particularly in online gaming or digital discourse.

- Our team got wrecked in the final round of the tournament.
- The politician got wrecked on social media after his contradictory statements were posted side-by-side by a journalist.

## Examples

- I am absolutely wrecked after that ten-mile run.
- The mechanic said the car was completely wrecked and would cost more to fix than it was worth.
- After forty-eight hours of continuous travel across three different time zones, the entire film crew arrived at the hotel looking utterly wrecked.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.