shipwreck

1 of 2

noun

ship·​wreck ˈship-ˌrek 

1

: a wrecked ship or its parts

2

: the destruction or loss of a ship

3

: an irretrievable loss or failure

shipwreck

2 of 2

verb

shipwrecked; shipwrecking; shipwrecks

transitive verb

1

a

: to cause to experience shipwreck

b

: ruin

2

: to destroy (a ship) by grounding or foundering

Synonyms

Noun

• shipwrecking
• wreck
• wreckage
• wrecking

Verb

• strand
• wreck

Examples of shipwreck in a Sentence

Noun

Only a few sailors survived the shipwreck.

The crew narrowly avoided shipwreck.

Divers searched the sunken shipwreck.

Verb

the yachtsman fell asleep at the wheel and shipwrecked his ketch on the rocks

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

At-risk rules include one to protect archaeological sites on the ocean floor, such as shipwrecks, from oil and gas drilling. —Bydan Charles, science.org, 7 Feb. 2025

His pictures of graveyards, seashores, shipwrecks, and mountain vistas force us to ponder our place in the universe. —Jerry Saltz, Vulture, 7 Feb. 2025

Verb

Lord of the Flies – A new BBC adaptation of William Golding’s book about a group of boys shipwrecked on a deserted island. —Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 19 Feb. 2025

Malta is known for the warmth of its people, as noted in the Book of Apostles when St. Paul was said to have been shipwrecked off the island coast in 60CE and found a welcoming community of locals. —Alex Ledsom, Forbes, 12 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

alteration of earlier shipwrack, from Middle English schipwrak, from Old English scipwræc, from scip ship + wræc something driven by the sea — more at wrack

First Known Use

Noun

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1589, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

shipwreck

1 of 2 noun

ship·​wreck -ˌrek 

1

: a wrecked ship

2

: the destruction or loss of a ship

shipwreck

2 of 2 verb

1

: to cause to experience shipwreck

a storm that shipwrecked the sailors

2

: to destroy (a ship) by driving ashore or sinking