Wreak

• POS: Verb (transitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

Wreak, v. i. 

 To reck; to care.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]

Wreak, v. t. [OE. wrek to revenge, punish, drive out, AS. wrecan; akin to OFries. wreka, OS. wrekan to punish, D. wreken to avenge, G. rächen, OHG. rehhan, Icel. reka to drive, to take vengeance, Goth. wrikan to persecute, Lith. vargas distress, vargti to suffer distress, L. urgere to drive, urge, Gr. to shut, Skr. to turn away. Cf. Urge, Wreck, Wretch.].

•  To revenge; to avenge.  [1913 Webster]

  "He should wreake him on his foes."  [1913 Webster]

  "Another's wrongs to wreak upon thyself."  [1913 Webster]

  "Come wreak his loss, whom bootless ye complain."  [1913 Webster]
•  To execute in vengeance or passion; to inflict; to hurl or drive; as, to wreak vengeance on an enemy.  [1913 Webster]

  "On me let Death wreak all his rage."  [1913 Webster]

  "Now was the time to be avenged on his old enemy, to wreak a grudge of seventeen years."  [1913 Webster]

  "But gather all thy powers,
  And wreak them on the verse that thou dost weave."  [1913 Webster]

Wreak, n. [Cf. AS. wræc exile, persecution, misery. See Wreak, v. t.].

 Revenge; vengeance; furious passion; resentment.  Shak. Spenser.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Wreak, v.tr.
1 (usu. foll. by upon) give play or satisfaction to; put in operation (vengeance or one's anger etc.).
2 cause (damage etc.) (the hurricane wreaked havoc on the crops).
3 archaic avenge (a wrong or wronged person).

Derivative

wreaker n.

Etymology

OE wrecan drive, avenge, etc., f. Gmc: cf. WRACK, WRECK, WRETCH

THESAURUS

Wreak

accomplish, achieve, bring, bring about, bring off, bring to pass, bring upon, commit, do, do to, effect, effectuate, force, go and do, impose, inflict, make, pay, perpetrate, produce, pull off, realize, render, take and do, up and do, visit, visit upon, wreck

ROGET THESAURUS

Wreak

Severity

VB be severe, assume, usurp, arrogate, take liberties, domineer, bully, tyrannize, inflict, wreak, stretch a point, put on the screw, be hard upon, bear a heavy hand on, lay a heavy hand on, be down upon, come down upon, ill treat, deal hardly with, deal hard measure to, rule with a rod of iron, chastise with scorpions, dye with blood, oppress, override, trample under foot, tread under foot, tread upon, trample upon, tread down upon, trample down upon, crush under an iron heel, ride roughshod over, rivet the yoke, hold a tight hand, keep a tight hand, force down the throat, coerce, give no quarter.

Violence

VB be violent, run high, ferment, effervesce, romp, rampage, go on a rampage, run wild, run amuck, run riot, break the peace, rush, tear, rush headlong, rush foremost, raise a storm, make a riot, rough house, riot, storm, wreak, bear down, ride roughshod, out Herod, Herod, spread like wildfire (person), explode, make a row, kick up a row, boil, boil over, fume, foam, come on like a lion, bluster, rage, roar, fly off the handle, go bananas, go ape, blow one's top, blow one's cool, flip one's lid, hit the ceiling, hit the roof, fly into a rage (anger), break out, fly out, burst out, bounce, explode, go off, displode, fly, detonate, thunder, blow up, crump, flash, flare, burst, shock, strain, break open, force open, prize open, render violent, sharpen, stir up, quicken, excite, incite, annoy, urge, lash, stimulate, turn on, irritate, inflame, kindle, suscitate, foment, accelerate, aggravate, exasperate, exacerbate, convulse, infuriate, madden, lash into fury, fan the flame, add fuel to the flame, pour oil on the fire, oleum addere camino, explode, let fly, fly off, discharge, detonate, set off, detonize, fulminate.