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
Adam Erace, Travel + Leisure, 6 Feb. 2026
In June 2015, Doe, then a teenager, climbed over the compound’s wrought-iron fence and ran into the Arizona desert, where a former member was waiting to pick her up and take her to safety.
—Jane Borden, Rolling Stone, 5 Feb. 2026
The front desk attendant graciously meets you at the bottom of the glamorous wrought-iron staircase.
—Forbes Travel Guide, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
There’s more than a hint of Southern Gothic design with the dark woods, wrought ironwork, and Victoriana, plus aesthetics that blend nods to the city’s history with all the elements of an inarguably contemporary hotel.
—Paul Oswell, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Jan. 2026
Slone has a much softer and more plaintive voice and, judging from his finely wrought songs, a tendency to contend with heartbreak not by going out and raging but by staying in and ruminating.
—Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 15 Jan. 2026
There is a staircase with a decorative wrought-iron balustrade railing, a bedroom with bold, flower wallpaper, and in what appears to be an entry way, Rococo gilt-wood mirrors.
—Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 23 Dec. 2025
The wrought-iron look gives it that antique feel, and the curved bars add just the right amount of detail.
—Shea Simmons, Southern Living, 14 Nov. 2025
Listed by Carmen Galzerano of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties, the six-bedroom, nine-bath home offers roughly 11,700 square feet across three levels punctuated with arched doorways, sliding wrought-iron and glass barn doors, and folding walls of glass.
—Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 11 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wrought.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wrought. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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