wrought
2 of 2past tense and past participle of work
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The Uses of Wrought
Wrought may function as the past or the past participle form of the verb work. While not as common as it once was, this past-tense form still is encountered in such combinations as "wrought havoc." Since "wreak havoc" is also a familiar pairing, many people assume that wrought is the past tense of wreak, but the two are actually distinct. Although it still exists as a verb, wrought is more often used today as an adjective, a role in which it has a number of meanings. Most of these are found referring to things or materials which have been in some way worked by people (as in wrought iron or "carefully wrought prose"), but one sense ("deeply stirred") is typically used in describing emotions. When employed in this sense, wrought is often found paired with up (as in "he found himself wrought up over the news").
Examples of wrought in a Sentence
Jordan Smith, IndyStar, 3 Apr. 2025
Several discreet patio tables in wrought iron scattered the court, flower-garden borders, tiny ponds, overhanging sun umbrellas in gay colors.
—Literary Hub, 26 June 2025
And second, Charlie could easily have fallen a little bit differently and ended up impaled on wrought iron, so this seems like a very risky move.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 19 June 2025
Adams plucked out Shakespeare’s lines and mounted them like gems in a finely wrought score.
—Justin Davidson, Vulture, 13 May 2025
His mural features the vibrant colors of sugar skulls, marigolds and Mexican dancers along with iconic La Colonia scenes such as the wrought iron archway, the Heritage Museum with its flowering trellis, St. Leo’s Church—there’s even a skateboarder getting air at the skate park.
—Karen Billing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Mar. 2025
This specific creation, completed in 1917, is a love letter to the Spanish Renaissance, blending the rustic charm of a European country house with ornate Plateresque details—think arched windows, intricate wrought iron, and a grand entrance that feels equal parts palace and movie set.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 5 May 2025
Still, such moments were far more wrought and sporadic.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2025
Follow shaded flagstone paths past quiet nooks ringed with wrought iron benches and walls of greenery.
—Caroline Rogers, Southern Living, 20 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wrought.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wrought. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.
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