To cause or inflict damage, suffering, or a destructive effect on someone or something.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- wreak havoc
- wreak damage
- wreak vengeance on
On the page
The storm wreaked havoc on the unprotected fishing boats.
Nearby words
Word forms
- Base
- wreak
- Past tense
- wreaked
- Past participle
- wreaked
- Present participle
- wreaking
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- wreak
- Present continuous
- am/is/are wreaking
- Present perfect
- have/has wreaked
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been wreaking
- Past
- wreaked
- Past continuous
- was/were wreaking
- Past perfect
- had wreaked
- Past perfect continuous
- had been wreaking
- Future
- will wreak
- Future continuous
- will be wreaking
- Future perfect
- will have wreaked
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been wreaking
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: literary / elevated prose. Lexical Type: Word. Forms: wreak; wreaks; wreaked; wreaked; wreaking Commonness: moderately common (editorial estimate; not a corpus frequency statistic). Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1; numbered fields keep each relevant meaning separate. Research distinction: Collins supports harmful-effect objects and marks revenge/avenge extension archaic; use modern regular wreaked forms. Writing functions: precise action, characterization. Third-person singular: wreaks.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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