wretched

adjective

wretch·​ed ˈre-chəd How to pronounce wretched (audio)
1
: deeply afflicted, dejected, or distressed in body or mind
2
: extremely or deplorably bad or distressing
was in wretched health
a wretched accident
3
a
: being or appearing mean, miserable, or contemptible
dressed in wretched old clothes
b
: very poor in quality or ability : inferior
wretched workmanship
wretchedly adverb
wretchedness noun

Examples of wretched in a Sentence

The slums were filled with poor, wretched children. I don't know what's wrong with her, but she looks wretched. families living in wretched poverty the wretched conditions of the refugee camp How did we get into this wretched state of affairs? What a wretched performance that was. That movie was positively wretched.
Recent Examples on the Web Alastair Cook’s men were in a wretched state, withered and wrecked by a rampant Mitchell Johnson, an aging squad and ‘deserted’ by a struggling Jonathan Trott and then Graeme Swann, two of the first names on the sheet in the home series just months before. Tim Ellis, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2024 If only a psychic could have warned us about these wretched Spider-Man spinoffs. Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 13 Feb. 2024 So Ernie brought him to the hospital, where a wretched reality only worsened. Mirjam Swanson, Orange County Register, 31 Jan. 2024 In this respect, Trump has shown himself to be extremely consistent: the ability to be consistently wretched. Christian Schneider, National Review, 11 Jan. 2024 Eating even a small amount could cause kidney failure, killing your kitty in a deeply uncomfortable and wretched manner. Stephen C. George, Discover Magazine, 13 Dec. 2023 Recognizing that God continues to bless me not withstanding my wretched and unpredictable surroundings; expressing sincere gratitude has been my most effective coping mechanism. Dave Quinn, Peoplemag, 16 Feb. 2024 One that evades both chaos and the wretched trap of monolithic power by kings or priesthoods … or corporate oligarchs … or Skynet monsters. WIRED, 6 July 2023 But Haley’s legacy lives on, in wretched figures on infant and maternal mortality and uninsured rates. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wretched.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English wrecched, expansion (with -ed -ed entry 1) of wrecche, adjective, in same sense, going back to Old English wrecc, derivative from the base of wræcca, wrecce "exile, stranger, despicable person" — more at wretch

First Known Use

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of wretched was in the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near wretched

Cite this Entry

“Wretched.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wretched. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

wretched

adjective
wretch·​ed ˈrech-əd How to pronounce wretched (audio)
1
: very miserable or unhappy
2
: causing misery or distress
that wretched accident
3
: deserving of hatred or disgust
a wretched trick
4
: very poor in quality or ability
wretched work
wretchedly adverb
wretchedness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on wretched

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