wreak havoc

English

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /ɹiːk ˈhæv.ək/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Verb

wreak havoc (third-person singular simple present wreaks havoc, present participle wreaking havoc, simple past and past participle wreaked havoc or wrought havoc)

1. To cause damage, disruption, or destruction.

   The storm wreaked havoc on his garden.

Usage notes

• Regarding the use of wrought as a past tense, see notes at wreak.
• Beware the misspelling wreck havoc.

Translations

To cause damage, disruption, or destruction

• Catalan: causar estralls
• Czech: způsobit škodu pf, způsobit katastrofu pf
• Finnish: tehdä tuhoa
• French: semer la pagaille (fr)
• German: Chaos anrichten, Verwüstung verursachen
• Italian: creare scompiglio, gettare scompiglio
• Latin: vastō (especially widespread)
• Polish: siać spustoszenie
• Portuguese: causar estragos
• Russian: наноси́ть уще́рб (nanosítʹ uščérb)
• Spanish: causar estragos
• Swedish: härja (sv)
• Ukrainian: завдати шкоди, сіяти хаос (zavdaty škody, sijaty xaos)

See also

• run amok
• wrought