- the partial or total destruction of a ship at sea
- a wrecked ship or part of such a ship
- ruin or destruction: the shipwreck of all my hopes
- to wreck or destroy (a ship)
- to bring to ruin or destruction
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
ship•wreck /ˈʃɪpˌrɛk/USA pronunciation
n.
v. [~ + object]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- Nautical, Naval Termsthe destruction of a ship, as by sinking, or an occurrence of such a loss: [uncountable]Storms at sea can cause a shipwreck.[countable]heard of several shipwrecks during the hurricane.
- Nautical, Naval Terms the remains of a wrecked ship:[countable]They came across a shipwreck while skindiving.
v. [~ + object]
- Naval Termsto cause to suffer shipwreck:The crew were shipwrecked on a deserted island.
ship•wreck
(ship′rek′),USA pronunciation n.
v.t.
v.i.
- Nautical, Naval Termsthe destruction or loss of a ship, as by sinking.
- Nautical, Naval Termsthe remains of a wrecked ship.
- destruction or ruin:the shipwreck of one's hopes.
v.t.
- Naval Termsto cause to suffer shipwreck.
- to destroy;
ruin.
v.i.
- Nautical, Naval Termsto suffer shipwreck.
- bef. 1100; Middle English shipwrech remains of a shipwreck; see ship, wreck; replacing Old English scipwræc (see wrack1)
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
shipwreck /ˈʃɪpˌrɛk/ n
'shipwrecked' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):