wreck

The word “wreck” means the remains of a vehicle, ship, or structure that has been destroyed or badly damaged. In plain terms, something destroyed, or the act of destroying it — a crashed ship or car, or ruining a plan.

“Wreck” is pronounced REHK (/ˈɹɛk/ in IPA).

Here is “wreck” used in a sentence: “Divers explored the wreck of a ship that sank two centuries ago.”

Words with a similar meaning to “wreck” include crash and ruins.

The opposite of “wreck” — its antonyms — are build, construct, make and produce.

Depending on how it is used, “wreck” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “wreck” comes from Old English. From Old Norse *wrek, related to Old English wrecan ("to drive"), the same root that gave us "wreak".

“Wreck” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

As verbs both mean to destroy, but "wreck" suggests sudden, violent damage such as a crash, while "ruin" can be gradual and often applies to reputations, plans, or finances. A storm can wreck a ship; a scandal can ruin a career.

"Wreck" means to destroy or badly damage something, or the remains of something destroyed. "Wreak" is a different verb meaning to cause or inflict, most often in "wreak havoc"; the two are commonly confused but are not interchangeable.

A "wreck" is the general term for the remains of any destroyed vehicle, ship, or structure, while a "shipwreck" refers specifically to a wrecked ship or the event of one being destroyed at sea. Every shipwreck is a wreck, but a wreck can also be a car or a building.