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

Their relationship was a shipwreck.

… unwittingly assured the shipwreck of his career.

—Bruce Hutchison

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 of shipwreck

Noun

• wrecking
• wreck
• sinking
• shipwrecking

Verb

• 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

Since its discovery, multiple parties have laid claim to the shipwreck, including Colombia, Spain and Indigenous Qhara Qhara Bolivians who claim the treasures on board were stolen from them. —CBS News, 21 Nov. 2025

The Cozumel Museum is filled with fascinating displays on endemic species, religious ceremonies of the Mayans, shipwrecks around the island, and more. —New York Times, 13 Nov. 2025

Verb

Assisted by none other than Lin-Manuel Miranda, the orchestral album surges through a perilous plot involving the titular Mr. Balkan, who is shipwrecked with his crew on a desert island. —Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 7 Nov. 2025

The four tried to sail across the sea but were shipwrecked in Spain, where all four of them survived and went on to their next adventure in Not Mexico together. —Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 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