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# wreck

noun (a wreck, wrecks); verb (wreck, wrecks, wrecked, wrecking)

«wreck» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. A ship, car, plane or building that has been badly damaged or destroyed. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wreck/#m1)
2. (verb) To damage or destroy something badly. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wreck/#m2)
3. (verb) To spoil plans or chances: «The rain wrecked our picnic.» [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wreck/#m3)
4. (informal) A person who is very tired, ill or upset: «I'm a wreck.» [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wreck/#m4)

### In the lessons

In history and stories: shipwrecks, divers exploring a wreck. In everyday life: «The kids wrecked the room» means made a big mess. In safety: never play near a car wreck or old building. Phrases: «a nervous wreck», «shipwreck».

### Examples

- Divers explored the wreck of the old ship. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wreck/#x1)
- The storm wrecked the garden fence. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wreck/#x2)
- Don't wreck your sister's sandcastle! [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wreck/#x3)
- Rain wrecked our plans for a barbecue. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wreck/#x4)
- After the long journey, I was a total wreck. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wreck/#x5)
- The car was a wreck after the crash, but everyone was safe. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wreck/#x6)
- "It is a chest of gold lost from some wreck," they cried. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wreck/#x7)

### Note

Silent w: say «rek». Regular verb: wrecked. Do not confuse with «reck» (old word) or «wreak» (as in «wreak havoc»). Wreckage = the broken pieces left.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «wreck» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wreck/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«wreck» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/wreck.html) on Mova free.