1.wreck用作名词时指失事的车、船、飞机或人等,也可指一次车祸、海难或空难。用作动词时意思是“(使)失事”,多指因风暴、相撞或某种暴力而使某物(如车船等交通工具等)毁坏或遭难。引申可表示为“(使)破坏”“遭残毁”,有时也可表示“炒蛋”“把(钞票)兑换成(等值的)硬币”等。
2.wreck既可用作及物动词,也可用作不及物动词。用作及物动词时,可接具体事物或抽象事物作宾语,可用于被动结构。用作不及物动词时,主动形式含有被动意义。

用作不及物动词
▲S+～(+A)
The car wrecked at the crossing. 汽车在十字路口处撞坏了。
The ship wrecked on a rock.船触礁失事了。
His only hope has wrecked.他唯一的希望破灭了。
用作及物动词
▲S+～+n./pron.
The storm wrecked the ship.那条船因风暴遇难。
The fire wrecked the hotel.那场大火把饭店烧毁了。
The boy has wrecked my car.那孩子把我的汽车撞坏了。
The experiment and consequent explosion wrecked the lab.实验及随后的爆炸毁坏了实验室。
The accident wrecked our plans for a happy holiday.这次事故打破了我们愉快度假的计划。
He is wrecking her whole life.他在糟蹋她的一生。
Wreck one.炒一份鸡蛋。
Wreck two bucks.换两美元的硬币。
◇ 用于be ～ed 结构
The steamer was wrecked at sea.轮船在海上遇难。
The rice mill was wrecked by the enemy bombing.碾米厂遭到了敌机的轰炸。
They were wrecked in the coast of Africa.他们是在非洲海岸不远处遇难落水的。
All hopes of a peaceful settlement were wrecked by his speech.和平解决的希望都被他们的讲话打破了。

wreck, break, crack, shatter
参见break条。

wreck也可用作名词,意为“失事,失事船〔飞机〕,残骸”“受到严重损害的人”。例如:
Six people, including a child, were killed in the train wreck.在这次火车失事中有六人丧生,其中有一名儿童。
He is one of the mental wrecks.他是精神受到严重损害的人之一。

［同义词］   break, destroy
［词源］＜中古英语wrek(船只等失事,遭难)