Definition

1. Noun:

   • An accident that destroys a ship at sea: The event of a ship being destroyed or sunk, typically during a voyage.
   • An irretrievable loss or complete failure: A metaphorical use describing the total ruin or collapse of something, such as a plan, relationship, or hope.
   • A wrecked ship (or a part of one): The physical remains of a ship that has been destroyed or sunk.

2. Verb:

   • To destroy or cause (a ship) to be destroyed: To be the cause of a ship's destruction.
   • To cause to experience shipwreck: To subject someone to the disaster of a shipwreck.
   • To suffer failure or ruin utterly: To meet with complete disaster or failure; to bring something to a state of total ruin.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • The storm caused the shipwreck of the ancient vessel. (The storm caused the destruction of the ancient ship at sea.)
  • The end of their partnership was the shipwreck of his business ambitions. (The end of their partnership was the complete failure of his business ambitions.)
  • Divers explored the shipwreck on the ocean floor. (Divers explored the remains of the wrecked ship on the ocean floor.)

• Verb:

  • The captain feared the reef would shipwreck his ship. (The captain feared the reef would destroy his ship.)
  • The novel tells the story of sailors who were shipwrecked on a desert island. (The novel tells the story of sailors who experienced a shipwreck and ended up on a desert island.)
  • His reckless decisions ultimately shipwrecked the entire project. (His reckless decisions ultimately caused the complete failure of the entire project.)

Advanced Usage

• "to make shipwreck of": To cause the complete ruin or failure of something.

  • The scandal made shipwreck of his political career. (The scandal caused the utter ruin of his political career.)

• "to suffer shipwreck": To experience a shipwreck or, metaphorically, a complete failure.

  • The expedition suffered shipwreck both literally and figuratively. (The expedition experienced the destruction of its ship and the failure of its mission.)

Variants and Related Words

• Shipwrecked (adj): Describing a person or thing that has suffered a shipwreck.
  • The shipwrecked sailors waited for rescue.
• Shipwrecking (n/gerund): The act or process of causing a shipwreck.

Synonyms

• Noun (accident): maritime disaster, sinking, wreck.
• Noun (ruin): downfall, collapse, destruction, debacle.
• Verb (destroy): wreck, sink, scuttle.
• Verb (ruin): destroy, wreck, sabotage, undo.

Related Phrases

• "to be shipwrecked on": To be stranded in a place as a result of a shipwreck.
  • They were shipwrecked on a remote coast.
• "a shipwreck of hopes": A complete destruction of hopes or dreams.
  • The economic crisis left behind a shipwreck of hopes for many families.

Idioms

• "To make shipwreck of one's life/fortunes": To completely ruin one's life or financial situation.
  • His addiction made shipwreck of his life.
• "A shipwreck of a plan": A plan that has failed utterly.
  • Their strategy was a shipwreck from the start.

Noun

1. an accident that destroys a ship at sea
2. an irretrievable loss
   • that was the shipwreck of their romance
3. a wrecked ship (or a part of one)

Verb

1. destroy a ship
   • The vessel was shipwrecked
2. cause to experience shipwreck
   • They were shipwrecked in one of the mysteries at sea
3. suffer failure, as in some enterprise
4. ruin utterly
   • You have shipwrecked my career