wreak
英 [riːk] 美 [riːk]
vt.发泄；施行（报复）；造成（破坏等），带来（灾难性的后果）
GRE GMAT SAT
◉Etymology
“Wreak” 这个单词源自中古英语的 “wreken”，意为"复仇，报复"。Old English wrecan ‘drive (out), avenge’, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch wreken and German rächen; compare with wreck, and wretch.
◉外刊例句
① The hurricane wreaked havoc on the coastal town, causing widespread destruction.
飓风对沿海小镇造成了严重破坏，引发了广泛的破坏。
——The New York Times - 2023年4月
② The virus has wreaked havoc on the economy, leading to job losses and financial instability.
这种病毒对经济造成了严重破坏，导致失业和金融不稳定。
——The Guardian - 2023年6月
③ The protest group threatened to wreak vengeance on those responsible for the environmental damage.
抗议团体威胁要对那些对环境破坏负责的人进行报复。
——BBC News - 2023年9月
◉Usage Examples
(1) Timid people always wreak their peevishness on the gentle.
(2) I am determined to wreak vengeance on John.
(3) The earthquake wreaked havoc on the city.
(4) The wind will wreak havoc on my garden.
(1) 怯懦的人总是把满腹牢骚向温和的人发泄。
(2) 我决心向约翰报仇。
(3) 地震对这个城市造成了大破坏。
(4) 大风将摧毁我的花园。
◉Usage Examples
To wreak is to cause something to happen, usually with a terrible consequence. You can make mischief, cause problems, or inflict pain, but to wreak damage suggests a deeper level of destruction.
Wreak stems from the Old English wrecan, meaning "to avenge." Its current meaning, that of causing something to happen — usually with dire consequences — came about in the 19th century. The word is a transitive verb, often paired with the equally intense havoc, meaning "devastation."
◉Colins
The form wrought can also be used as the past participle. 过去分词亦可使用wrought。
1. [VERB 动词]造成(混乱或破坏) Something or someone that wreaks havoc or destruction causes a great amount of disorder or damage. [V n] [V-ed] [JOURNALISM or LITERARY 新闻或文]
Violent storms wreaked havoc on the French Riviera, leaving three people dead and dozens injured...
猛烈的暴风雨给法国里维埃拉地区造成了极大的破坏，致使三人死亡，数十人受伤。
The mountains are studded with dams, any one of which could wreak destruction in the valley below.
山区到处都是大坝，其中任何一个都可能给下面的山谷带来灭顶之灾。
...the devastation wrought by a decade of fighting.
十年战事造成的严重破坏
2. [VERB 动词]实施(报复) If you wreak revenge or vengeance on someone, you do something that will harm them very much to punish them for the harm they have done to you. [V n] [JOURNALISM or LITERARY 新闻或文]
He threatened to wreak vengeance on the men who toppled him a year ago.
他威胁要对一年前扳倒他的人进行报复。
