WordGarden.iowrack
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /rˈæk/
US
- /ˈræk/
Meanings
Verb
to cause severe physical or mental suffering or strain
Noun
ruin or destructive collapse, especially in the phrase wrack and ruin
seaweed or other marine vegetation washed up on shore
Beyond the definition
Imagine a ship caught in a storm. That image sits close to the heart of "wrack." As a verb, it often means to cause great pain, distress, or damage. You might say that guilt wracked someone for years, or that war wracked a region. The word has a literary, dramatic feel and often suggests suffering that is deep or repeated.
As a noun, it can mean wreckage, especially from a shipwreck, and in some contexts it can also mean seaweed washed onto shore. In older or literary English, you may also see it in phrases about ruin or destruction. The spelling is close to "rack" and "wreck," and these words often overlap in real use, so context matters.
"Wrack" is a verb that usually means to cause severe suffering, distress, or damage. It often appears in writing with a serious or literary tone. A person can be wracked with pain, grief, doubt, or guilt, meaning the feeling affects them deeply and repeatedly. A place can also be wracked by war, disease, or storms, meaning it suffers badly over time. For example: "The long conflict wracked the country," or "She was wracked with anxiety before the trial."
The word does not always mean total destruction. Often it points more to harsh suffering or serious damage than to complete ruin. That is why it works well for both inner pain and outer damage. It can describe a body shaken by illness, a mind troubled by guilt, or a community harmed by disaster.
As a noun, "wrack" can mean wreckage, especially the remains of a ship, and it can also mean seaweed cast up on the shore. These noun senses are less common in everyday speech now, but they still appear in literature and in coastal contexts. This older background helps explain why the word often carries an image of ruin, storm, and aftermath.
You will also notice overlap with "rack," especially in the phrase "rack one's brain" and in "racked with pain." Many modern sources prefer "rack" in some of these cases, while "wrack" survives strongly in literary style and in certain fixed uses such as "wrack and ruin." So whether it refers to deep suffering, serious damage, or actual wreckage, "wrack" is a word of strain, harm, and aftermath.
Examples
- 1
Physical suffering
He spent the night wracked with pain after the accident.
- 2
Regional hardship
The region has been wracked by drought for three years.
- Patternwracked by/with + problem
suffering badly because of it
- 3
Neglect
Without repairs, the old farmhouse slowly went to wrack and ruin.
- Phrasego to wrack and ruin
become badly damaged over time
See also
Similar
Shades of meaning
Contrast
Do not confuse
Used with (collocations)
- wrack and ruin
- go to wrack and ruin
Word family
Explore
Forms and spellings
4 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- wrackverbnoun
Forms
- wracking-ing formverbnoun
- wrackedpast tenseverbnoun
- wracksverbnoun