Wrecking - English meaning

phrasal verb

Break or cause to break into pieces

phrasal verb

(of a telephone conversation) to become impossible to understand because the connection is not strong enough

Usage examples:

He was on the subway when he called and started to break up before i could answer., the company has…

phrasal verb

To divide, or to divide something, into smaller parts

Usage examples:

The company has been broken up and sold off., manufacturing ceased at the factory when the original…

verb

(of a boat) be overturned in the water.

Usage examples:

The craft capsized in heavy seas

noun

An instance of capsizing.

Usage examples:

Do you know what to do in the event of a capsize?

verb

To turn over or cause a boat or ship to turn over in the water

Usage examples:

[ i ] a passenger ferry capsized in rough seas sunday morning.

verb

(of a vehicle) collide violently with an obstacle or another vehicle.

Usage examples:

A racing car had crashed, wrecking a safety barrier

noun

A violent collision, typically of one vehicle with another or with an object.

Usage examples:

A car crash

adjective

Done rapidly or urgently and involving a concentrated effort.

Usage examples:

A crash course in italian

noun

Physical harm that impairs the value, usefulness, or normal function of something.

Usage examples:

Bombing caused extensive damage to the town

verb

Inflict physical harm on (something) so as to impair its value, usefulness, or normal function.

Usage examples:

The car was badly damaged in the accident

verb

To harm or spoil something

Usage examples:

Many buildings were badly damaged by the earthquake., news reports damaged the senator’s reputation…

verb

Spoil the surface or appearance of (something), for example by drawing or writing on it.

Usage examples:

He defaced library books

verb

To damage and spoil the appearance of something by writing or drawing on it

Usage examples:

He was fined for defacing library books.

verb

Pull or knock down (a building).

Usage examples:

The house was demolished to make way for the shopping centre

verb

To completely destroy buildings or other structures

Usage examples:

Most of the town was demolished by the tornado., they demolished the old school to build a new one.

verb

To completely destroy a building, especially in order to use the land for something else

Usage examples:

A number of houses were demolished so that the supermarket could be built.

verb

Treat (a sacred place or thing) with violent disrespect.

Usage examples:

More than 300 graves were desecrated

verb

To damage or show a lack of respect toward something holy or respected

Usage examples:

Vandals desecrated the monument., the desecration of a cemetery/shrine/house of worship

verb

To damage or show no respect towards something holy or very much respected

Usage examples:

The mosque/shrine was desecrated by vandals., it's a crime to desecrate the country's flag.

verb

End the existence of (something) by damaging or attacking it.

Usage examples:

The room had been destroyed by fire

verb

To damage something, esp. in a violent way, so that it can no longer be used or no longer exists

Usage examples:

You can use a shredder to destroy old bank statements., losing his job seemed to completely destroy…

verb

To damage something so badly that it cannot be used

Usage examples:

Most of the old part of the city was destroyed by bombs during the war., completely/totally destroy…

verb

Take (a machine or structure) to pieces.

Usage examples:

The engines were dismantled and the bits piled into a heap

verb

To take a machine or something complicated apart, usually to make it unable to work

Usage examples:

The government voted to dismantle its nuclear warheads., they worried that dismantling the welfare …

verb

To take a machine apart or to come apart into separate pieces

Usage examples:

She dismantled the washing machine to see what the problem was, but couldn't put it back together a…

verb

Crash (a motor vehicle or aircraft).

Usage examples:

Ernie pranged his sports car last month

noun

A crash involving a motor vehicle or aircraft.

Usage examples:

He had numerous prangs and near misses in his motoring life

verb

To damage a vehicle slightly in a road accident

Usage examples:

She pranged her mother's car a week after she passed her driving test.

noun

The physical destruction or disintegration of something or the state of disintegrating or being destroyed.

Usage examples:

A large white house falling into gentle ruin

verb

Reduce (a building or place) to a state of decay, collapse, or disintegration.

Usage examples:

The castle was ruined when dynamite was used to demolish one of the corner towers

verb

To spoil or destroy something

Usage examples:

It would be a shame to ruin such a beautiful place., that guy isn’t going to ruin my life.

verb

Deliberately destroy, damage, or obstruct (something), especially for political or military advantage.

Usage examples:

Power lines from south africa were sabotaged by rebel forces

noun

The action of sabotaging something.

Usage examples:

A coordinated campaign of sabotage

verb

To damage or destroy equipment, weapons, or buildings in order to prevent the success of an enemy or competitor

Usage examples:

The rebels had tried to sabotage the oil pipeline.

noun

The destruction of a ship at sea by sinking or breaking up, for example in a storm or after striking a rock.

Usage examples:

These islands have a history of shipwrecks and smuggling

verb

(of a person or ship) suffer a shipwreck.

Usage examples:

The english envoy was shipwrecked off the coast of sardinia and nearly drowned

noun

The destruction or sinking of a ship at sea, or a ship destroyed this way

Usage examples:

[ c ] fog in the area caused many shipwrecks., the crew was shipwrecked off the coast of newfoundla…

verb

Go down below the surface of something, especially of a liquid; become submerged.

Usage examples:

He saw the coffin sink below the surface of the waves

noun

A fixed basin with a water supply and outflow pipe.

Usage examples:

I stood at the kitchen sink

noun

Fall or descend to a lower place or level

verb

Violently break (something) into pieces.

Usage examples:

The thief smashed a window to get into the car

noun

An act or sound of something smashing.

Usage examples:

He heard the smash of glass

adverb

With a sudden, violent shattering.

Usage examples:

They were together for an instant, and then smash it was all gone

adjective

Comprising the whole number or amount.

Usage examples:

A total cost of £4,000

noun

The whole number or amount of something.

Usage examples:

He scored a total of thirty-three points

verb

Amount in number to.

Usage examples:

They were left with debts totalling £6,260

noun

Waste material; refuse.

Usage examples:

The subway entrance was blocked with trash

verb

Damage or destroy.

Usage examples:

My apartment's been totally trashed

noun

Anything that is worthless and of low quality; waste

Usage examples:

We filled three cans with trash from the garage., i simply trash that kind of mail., some people se…

verb

Deliberately destroy or damage (public or private property).

Usage examples:

Stations have been vandalized beyond recognition

verb

To intentionally damage property belonging to other people

Usage examples:

When i got back, my car had been vandalized., bored teenagers went around vandalizing phoneboxes.

idiom

Reduce the estimated value of something

phrasal verb

Dismiss someone or something as insignificant.

Usage examples:

They were written off as a bunch of no-hopers

phrasal verb

Cancel the record of a bad debt; acknowledge the loss of or failure to recover an asset.

Usage examples:

He urged the banks to write off debt owed by poorer countries