Wreak Definition

rēk

wreaked, wreaking, wreaks

verb

wreaked, wreaking, wreaks

To bring about (damage or destruction, for example).

Wreak havoc.

American Heritage

To give vent or free play to (one's anger, malice, rage, etc.)

Webster's New World

To inflict (vengeance), cause (harm or havoc), etc.

Webster's New World

To avenge.

Webster's New World

(archaic) To take vengeance for.

Wiktionary

Synonyms:

noun

(archaic, literary) Revenge; vengeance; furious passion; resentment.

Wiktionary

Wiktionary

Origin of Wreak

Old English wrecan, from Proto-Germanic *wrekanÄ…, from root *wrek-, from Proto-Indo-European *wreg- (“work, do"). Cognate via Proto-Germanic with Dutch wreken, German rächen, Swedish vräka; cognate via PIE with Latin urgere (English urge), and distantly cognate to English wreck.

From Wiktionary
From Middle English wreke, wrake, Northern Middle English variants of wreche, influenced later by Etymology 1, above. Compare Dutch wraak.

From Wiktionary
Middle English wreken from Old English wrecan

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition