wrought

1. 1
   craftedadjective

   Having been worked or prepared in some way.

   A delicately wrought silver chain hung from the clock's case.

   The novel's plot is tightly wrought, with no scene wasted.

   UsageMostly in wrought iron and after adverbs: finely, tightly or intricately wrought.

   Similarcrafted, fashioned, worked

   Note

   The adjective began as the old past participle of work, the twin of worked, and it now keeps mostly fixed company: wrought iron, and finely, carefully, tightly or intricately wrought for anything made with skill, from a silver chain to the plot of a novel. Source

   Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

   • Wrought originated as a past participle of work. en.wikipedia.org
   • Wrought and worked are doublets. en.wiktionary.org
2. 2
   verbarchaic

   Simple past and past participle of work.

   The goldsmiths who wrought the gold, those were Medes and Egyptians. The men who wrought the wood, those were Sardians and Egyptians. The men who wrought the baked brick, those were Babylonians.

   2001, Josef Wiesehofer, Ancient Persia

   I need not describe his attainments as sheep-farmer or shepherd; he scarcely learned the barest rudiments; and the sage master of Clachlands trusted him only when he wrought under his own vigilant eye.

   1899, John Buchan, Summer Weather

   Note

   Old English worhte and ġeworht, the past forms of wyrċan, "to work", lie behind it, but the regular worked has since taken over everyday use. Wrought survives in solemn phrasing, as in What hath God wrought?, and for hard labor in older fiction: in Robert Louis Stevenson's Kidnapped, a ship's crew wrought like horses, and in John Buchan a shepherd is trusted only when he wrought under his master's eye. Source

   Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 5 facts

   • Wrought derives from Old English wyrċan, meaning 'to work', whose past tense was worhte and past participle was ġeworht. en.wiktionary.org
   • The phrase 'What hath God wrought?' is attested with this wording. history.house.gov
   • Robert Louis Stevenson wrote Kidnapped. gutenberg.org
   • In Kidnapped, David Balfour describes working with the seamen using the words 'wrought like horses'. gutenberg.org
   • In John Buchan's 'Summer Weather', a trainee shepherd is trusted only while working under his master's supervision. gutenberg.net.au
3. 3
   caused damageverb

   Used as the simple past and past participle of wreak, as in wrought havoc, though it is properly a past of work meaning caused or brought about.

   The storm wrought havoc on the coastal towns, tearing roofs from houses.

   Years of greed and neglect have wrought lasting damage on the company's reputation.

   UsageThe regular form for wreak is wreaked (wreaked havoc); wrought havoc is also common, from work havoc.

   Note

   The regular past of wreak is wreaked, and wrought belongs by origin to work; the two meet in phrases such as wrought havoc, where working harm and wreaking it come to the same thing. Source

   Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

   • The regular past tense of wreak is wreaked. en.wiktionary.org
   • Wrought historically belongs to work. en.wiktionary.org

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