wreak
(rēk)
[Middle English wreken, from Old English wrecan.]
transitive verb: wreaked, wreak·ing, wreaks.
- To inflict (vengeance or punishment) upon a person.
- To express or gratify (anger, malevolence, or resentment); vent.
- To bring about; cause: wreak havoc.
- Archaic To take vengeance for; avenge.
usage note
Usage Note: Wreak is sometimes confused with wreck, perhaps because the wreaking of damage may leave a wreck: The storm wreakedwrecked 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.