wreak (redirected from wreaking)

wreak  (rk)

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.

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[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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wreak

Verb

1. wreak havoc to cause chaos or damage: this Australian sun will wreak havoc with your complexions

2. wreak vengeance on to take revenge on [Old English wrecan]

USAGE: See at wrought.

Thesaurus

Verb

1.

wreak - cause to happen or to occur as a consequence; "I cannot work a miracle"; "wreak havoc"; "bring comments"; "play a joke"; "The rain brought relief to the drought-stricken area" make for, bring, work, play create, make - make or cause to be or to become; "make a mess in one's office"; "create a furor" work, act - have an effect or outcome; often the one desired or expected; "The voting process doesn't work as well as people thought"; "How does your idea work in practice?"; "This method doesn't work"; "The breaks of my new car act quickly"; "The medicine works only if you take it with a lot of water"

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wreak

verb 1. create, work, cause, visit, effect, exercise, carry out, execute, inflict, bring about

verb 2. unleash, express, indulge, vent, gratify, give vent to, give free rein to

Translations

wreak [riːk] vt [+ destruction] → causar;

to wreak havoc (on) → hacer or causar estragos (en);

to wreak vengeance (on) → vengarse (en)

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wreak [riːk] vt [+ destruction] → entraîner;

to wreak havoc → faire des ravages;

to wreak vengeance on → se venger de, exercer sa vengeance sur

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wreak [riːk] vt to wreak havoc (on) → verheerenden Schaden anrichten (bei);

to wreak vengeance or revenge on sb → Rache an jdm üben

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wreak [riːk] vt [+ destruction] → portare, causare;

to wreak vengeance on → vendicarsi su;

to wreak havoc on → portare scompiglio in