wreak
wreak Lexical Profile
wreak Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To inflict or execute vengeance, punishment, or unrestrained anger upon someone.
"In the ancient tragedy, the exiled king vowed to wreak vengeance on those who had betrayed his family."
To cause or inflict a large amount of damage, harm, or chaos (most commonly in the phrase 'wreak havoc').
"The unexpected late-spring frost threatened to wreak havoc on the region's apple orchards."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse 'wreak' with its homophone 'reek' (to smell strongly) or with 'wreck' (to destroy); the past tense and past participle of 'wreak' is 'wreaked', never 'wrought' (which is an archaic past participle of 'work').
• Rhymes for wreak
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English 'wrecan', meaning 'to drive out, punish, or avenge', tracing back to a Proto-Germanic root shared with Dutch 'wreken' and German 'rächen' (to avenge).