: 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 my brain or racking my brain?

The spelling 'rack' is now used in all senses except for the seaweed called wrack. So it's "rack and ruin," … "racking my brains," and so on. Some other usage guides provide a way of dealing with this question that has a certain brutal charm: just stop using the word wrack.

Why do we say rack my brain?

Meaning: To think very hard to find an answer. If you rack your brains, you strain mentally to recall or to understand something. The rack was a mediaeval torture device where the victim was tied to the rack by his arms and legs, which were then practically torn from their bodies.

What does racking his brain mean?

: 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.

How do you spell racking your 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.

Wrack My Brain

25 related questions found

Is it wracked with pain 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's nerve racking mean?

: extremely trying on the nerves a nerve-racking ordeal The job interview was a nerve-racking experience.

How do you use your brain rack?

to think very hard: I've been racking my brains all day but I can't remember her name. considerDon't make any decisions before you've considered the matter.

Can I pick your 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?

What is the difference between racked and wracked?

Rack and Wrack as Nouns

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. Idiomatically, we may rack the billiard balls, rack up points, and roast a rack of lamb.

What is rack and ruin?

Definition of go to rack and ruin

: to become destroyed or ruined The old house has gone to rack and ruin.

Why do people say nerve wracking?

Some people prefer "nerve-wracking" because they associate it with wrecking - the wording "nervous wreck" is recorded as early as 1871. It was always likely that rack and wrack should overlap. Wr- at the start of a word has been hard to pronounce from the time when w began to sound in Old English as it does today.

Where does the word nerve racking come from?

War of nerves "psychological warfare" is from 1915. early 15c., rakken, "to stretch, stretch out (cloth) for drying," also, of persons, "to torture by violently stretching on the rack," from rack (n. 1) or from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German. Of other pains from 1580s.

Is it nerve wracking or wrecking?

“Nerve-racking” is the original and correct spelling of this phrase, which describes something that makes you extremely nervous. “Nerve-wracking” is a widely-used and well-established variant spelling. Many editors and usage dictionaries find it acceptable, but purists and prescriptivists consider it an error.

What does racked with guilt mean?

Suffering from, preoccupied by, or paralyzed with an intense and overwhelming feeling of guilt. I've been racked with guilt ever since I took that bribe.

How do you spell wracked with guilt?

Wretching is an error; but wracked with guilt is not, and I'll defend it. Most style guides are clear on the distinction between racked and wracked.

What does racking sobs mean?

(ˈrækɪŋ) adjective. causing or indicating mental suffering. She was now shaking with long, racking sobs. causing or indicating physical suffering.

What does wrecking out mean?

1 verb To wreck something means to completely destroy or ruin it.

Is the nervous system?

Your nervous system uses specialized cells called neurons to send signals, or messages, all over your body. These electrical signals travel between your brain, skin, organs, glands and muscles. The messages help you move your limbs and feel sensations, such as pain.

What it means to be nervous?

: having or showing feelings of being worried and afraid about what might happen. : often or easily becoming worried and afraid about what might happen. : causing someone to feel worried and afraid : making someone nervous.

How do you use nerve racking in a sentence?

Nerve-racking sentence example

Taking a pregnancy test can be a nerve-racking situation. Choosing to write and say personal or unique wedding vows in front of all your friends and family can be extremely nerve-racking. Cynthia didn't answer and the silence became nerve racking .

What does kith and kin mean?

Quick Reference. One's relations. The word kith is Old English, and the original senses were 'knowledge', 'one's native land', and 'friends and neighbours'. The phrase kith and kin originally denoted one's country and relatives; later one's friends and relatives.

What is be all end all?

The be all end all is defined as something or someone who is considered to be a perfect specimen or the best and most desired.

Why is it rack and ruin?

The word rack in this case is a derivation of the word wrack, an archaic word that means wreck. This makes the term rack and ruin a tautology, which is a phrase or idiom in which the same idea is expressed twice using different words, such as the idiom jot or tittle.

What does racked with pain mean?

Suffering from an overwhelming amount of pain, especially to the degree that one's body is contorted or seized up.