wreak — to cause something bad or unpleasant to happen; to inflict damage or harm
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to cause something bad or unpleasant to happen; to inflict damage or harm
Pronunciation (IPA): /riːk/
Example Sentences
- My little brother wreaked havoc in my room while I was away.
- The new diet trend is wreaking havoc on people's wallets.
- Climate change continues to wreak destruction on the environment.
wreak
VERB[/riːk/]
to cause something bad or unpleasant to happen; to inflict damage or harm
The tornado wreaked havoc on the small coastal village overnight.
A tiny leak can make the strongest dam weak and wreak havoc!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Wreak derives from Old English 'wrecan', a verb with Germanic roots meaning 'to drive out' or 'to avenge'. Over time, the semantic focus shifted from expulsion and vengeance to the infliction of damage or harm, yielding the modern sense of causing destruction or injury.
Breakdown
Old English 'wrecan' (to drive out, avenge) → Modern English 'wreak'. The word lacks productive morphological affixes in modern English but preserves the Germanic root denoting forceful action or retribution.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My little brother wreaked havoc in my room while I was away.”
“The new diet trend is wreaking havoc on people's wallets.”
“Climate change continues to wreak destruction on the environment.”
“The virus wreaked chaos on the company's computer system.”
📚Related Words
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