wrack

/ræk/
verb
  1. To cause great physical or mental pain or suffering.
    • The disease wracked his body with constant pain.
    • The country was wracked by civil war for years.
    • She was wracked with guilt after the argument.
  2. To damage or destroy something severely.
    • Years of neglect had wracked the old building beyond repair.
    • The economy was wracked by inflation and unemployment.
    • The storm wracked the coastal town, leaving many homes in ruins.
noun
  1. A wreck or wreckage, especially of a ship.
    • Divers explored the wrack of the ancient ship on the ocean floor.
    • The beach was covered with the wrack of fishing boats after the hurricane.
    • They found the wrack scattered along the rocky shore.
  2. A type of seaweed that grows on rocky shores, often used as fertilizer.
    • The smell of drying wrack filled the seaside air.
    • Children played among the piles of wrack left by the high tide.
    • The farmer spread wrack from the beach over his garden soil.
Synonyms
What does "wrack" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean