Word of the Day: wreck

If something is badly damaged, it might be a wreck. This word is usually used as a noun or as a verb.

• My car is a wreck, but it still runs.
• Tony drives a wreck to work.

A wreck can also be a person who is physically or emotionally in bad condition:

• What happened to you? You look like a wreck.
• Tanya was a nervous wreck as she waited to see her test results.

In the next set of sentences, the word "wreck" is a verb:

• Tigist wrecked her car. She has to get it fixed.
• Jorge wrecked his back playing football. He has to see a doctor.
• The girl is wrecking her reputation by hanging out with drug addicts.

The words "wrecked" and "wrecking" can be used as adjectives:

• Wrecked buildings are scattered throughout the city of Detroit.
• A wrecking ball knocked down the house so that a new one could be built.