wreak

(rēk)
tr.v., wreaked, wreak·ing, wreaks.

1. To inflict (vengeance or punishment) upon a person.
2. To express or gratify (anger, malevolence, or resentment); vent.
3. To bring about; cause: wreak havoc.
4. Archaic. To take vengeance for; avenge.

[Middle English wreken, from Old English wrecan.]

USAGE NOTE   Wreak is sometimes confused with wreck, perhaps because the wreaking of damage may leave a wreck: The storm wreaked (not wrecked ) havoc along the coast. The past tense and past participle of wreak is wreaked, not wrought, which is an alternative past tense and past participle of work.

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is used in the expression wreak havoc (on). It is derived from an Old English verb meaning 'to avenge'. The unrelated verb work is also used in this connection, with its archaic participial form wrought occasionally coming into service:

Moko, the banana disease, has already wreaked havoc on the trade—Times, 1983

A series of worms and viruses has wrought havoc on Windows PCs—Business Pundit, American English 2004.

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verb

1. To cause to undergo or bear (something unwelcome or damaging, for example): impose, inflict, play, visit. See give/take/reciprocity, over/under, willing/unwilling.
2. To exact revenge for or from: avenge, pay back, pay off, redress, repay, requite, vindicate. Informal fix. Idioms: even the score, get back at, get even with, pay backin kindin one's own coin, settlesquareaccounts, take an eye for an eye. See forgiveness/vindictiveness.

\reek\ 1) to inflict upon a person 2) to express; vent 3) to cause

IN BRIEF: Cause to happen or to occur as a consequence.

Unless we prepare for it, the storm will wreak havoc on our garden.

Tutor's tip: Another word that sounds like wreak which means to cause damage, is reek which means to smell bad.

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For a list of words related to wreak, see:

• Violent Actions - wreak: inflict or exact punishment, injury, or vengeance

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See words rhyming with "wreak."

  See crossword solutions for the clue Wreak.

Dansk (Danish)
v. tr. - udgyde noget

idioms:

• wreak havoc    rasere, hærge

Nederlands (Dutch)
straf/wraak uitvoeren, woede uiten

Français (French)
v. tr. - assouvir (une revanche)

idioms:

• wreak havoc    infliger des dégâts, dévaster qch

Deutsch (German)
v. - (Rache) nehmen, (Wut) auslassen, anrichten

idioms:

• wreak havoc    Schaden anrichten, verwüsten, sich schlimm auswirken

Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - εκτονώνω, ξεθυμαίνω, ξεσπώ, ξεθυμαίνω

idioms:

• wreak havoc    καταστρέφω

Italiano (Italian)
vendetta

idioms:

• wreak havoc    devastare

Português (Portuguese)
v. - desafogar, descarregar

idioms:

• wreak havoc    devastar

Русский (Russian)
месть, возмездие, изливать (гнев), давать выход, причинять ущерб

idioms:

• wreak havoc    опустошать, сеять панику

Español (Spanish)
v. tr. - descargar, infligir

idioms:

• wreak havoc    causar estragos

Svenska (Swedish)
v. - låta gå ut, ta (fig.)

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
发泄, 报仇

idioms:

• wreak havoc    造成大破坏

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
v. tr. - 發洩, 報仇

idioms:

• wreak havoc    造成大破壞

한국어 (Korean)
v. tr. - (원수를) 갚다, (노력을) 기울이다

日本語 (Japanese)
v. - 加える, 与える

idioms:

• wreak havoc    むちゃくちゃにする

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(فعل) ينتقم ل, ينزل به عقوبه‏

עברית (Hebrew)
v. tr. - ‮נתן ביטוי (לזעם), גרם (נזק וכו'), נקם‬

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