But then, when you want to say that something is nerve-racking, you can also say it’s nerve-wracking. If you look it up, you’ll see that
wrack is
an accepted spelling variant in some cases. In other cases, like when you want so say that your shoes are racked in your closet, you can’t use wrack.
Is it racking up or wracking up?
“Do you
rack up
or wrack up debts?” While there are a number of settings in which wrack is considered an acceptable variant of rack, the accumulation of debts is not one of them. In this context rack up typically means “to achieve, score; to accumulate.”
What is the difference between rack and wrack?
As a verb, rack means
to torture
or cause great suffering, or to place (something) in or on a rack. The verb wrack means to wreck or cause the ruin of something. As a noun, rack means a frame, a shelf, an instrument of torture, or a state of intense anguish. The noun wrack means destruction or wreckage.
Is racking my brain?
: to think very
hard
in order to try to remember something, solve a problem, etc. I’ve been racking my brain, but I can’t remember his name.
Is it wracking or racking my brain?
The
correct and original spelling is racking my brain
. But the variant wracking my brain has become so well established by now that only strict traditionalists consider it a mistake. So, if you want to be perfectly correct, use nerve-racking and racking my brain.
What does wracking my brain mean?
UK (US rack your brain)
to think very hard
: I’ve been racking my brains all day but I can’t remember her name. Thesaurus: synonyms, antonyms, and examples. to think carefully about something.
Why do we say rack my brain?
Meaning:
To think very hard to find an answer
. It’s not surprising, therefore, that ‘rack’ soon became a verb meaning ‘to cause pain’. … The word was used whenever something or someone was under particular stress, and a huge variety of things were said to be ‘racked’.
Is it wracked or racked with pain?
As such, “wrack” is often accepted as a variant spelling of the verb
form of “rack
.” For example, we can say “wracked with pain” as well as “racked with pain.” But keep in mind that “rack” and “wrack” are only interchangeable when used as a verb.
What does wrack it up mean?
to obtain or achieve something, or to score goals or points
: The airline was racking up losses of $1.5 million a day. Miller racked up 28 points in the first half, and kept racking them up in the second.
What does wack mean?
slang. :
not up to the mark
: lousy, lame while there are skilled moments, there are wack ones as well— Danyel Smith.
What does racking sobs mean?
A
racking pain or emotion
is a distressing one that you feel very strongly. She was now shaking with long, racking sobs. See also nerve-racking.
What does it mean to rack up debt?
/ræk/ us.
informal
.
to get or achieve a lot of something
: He’s racked up debts of over thirty thousand pounds. (Definition of rack up sth from the Cambridge Learner’s Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)
Can you pick brain?
to ask someone’s advice about a subject the person knows a lot about: Can I pick your brain about how you got rid of those weeds?
How do you spell wrack your brain?
wrack (one’s) brain(s)
To struggle very hard to recall or think of something. (
“Rack”
is considered the more correct spelling, though “wrack” has become acceptable through common usage.) I’ve been wracking my brain, but I still can’t remember what Lydia’s husband’s name is.
What is wrack and ruin?
:
to become destroyed or ruined
The old house has gone to rack and ruin.
What does the phrase nerve wracking mean?
:
extremely trying on the nerves a nerve-racking ordeal
The job interview was a nerve-racking experience.
