1
as in terrible
extremely unsatisfactory
this report is simply wretched—you'll have to rewrite it
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2
as in pitiful
arousing or deserving of one's loathing and disgust
a wretched lie
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3
as in bleak
causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer
lived alone in a wretched room in a run-down hotel
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4
as in poor
falling short of a standard
a wretched attempt at writing an original song
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5
as in unhappy
feeling unhappiness
she was wretched for weeks after breaking up with her boyfriend
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6
as in vile
not following or in accordance with standards of honor and decency
his wretched treatment of women earned him a bad reputation
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7
as in cheap
of low quality
wretched goods that aren't even worth half of what the store is charging for them
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8
as in pathetic
deserving of one's pity
those wretched souls who cannot even afford a decent roof over their heads
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9
as in miserable
deserving pitying scorn (as for inadequacy)
the pampered socialite complained that the only room available was in a wretched little motel by the highway
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of wretched
Of course, the downside to aggressively selling is the season could go from bad to historically wretched.
—
Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 31 May 2026
Even with the Tigers’ grisly combination of injury misfortune and wretched play, their season is not yet over.
—Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 26 May 2026
Yes, it’s mostly wretched, but once in a great while there will be a song that’s actually not autotuned.
—Marla Jo Fisher, Oc Register, 13 May 2026
Still, Ohm is more despairing and miserable than any of the wretched worms Scott has acted to date.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wretched
Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 31 May 2026
Even with the Tigers’ grisly combination of injury misfortune and wretched play, their season is not yet over.
—Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 26 May 2026
Yes, it’s mostly wretched, but once in a great while there will be a song that’s actually not autotuned.
—Marla Jo Fisher, Oc Register, 13 May 2026
Still, Ohm is more despairing and miserable than any of the wretched worms Scott has acted to date.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wretched
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wretched
Adjective
-
This is Conolly’s Folly, built in 1740 at the height of a terrible famine.—
Amelia Soth,
JSTOR Daily,
18 June 2026
-
The heroes who save us from these awful, terrible music haters do so with force.—
David John Chávez,
Mercury News,
18 June 2026
Adjective
-
Trump has made a pitiful shambles of what should have been a glorious moment.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
31 May 2026
-
With his country flailing in their pitiful attempts to qualify for the 2006 World Cup, at the age of 33, Zidane underwent his change of heart.—
Amy Lawrence,
New York Times,
31 May 2026
Adjective
-
My father is a can-do, glass-half-full guy, a quality that has always felt like a rebuke of my own bleak world view, which makes the poor man literally wince.—
Sarah Miller,
New Yorker,
20 June 2026
-
The numbers were even bleaker in other categories.—
Carlos De Loera,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
Adjective
-
These conditions can increase your vulnerability to adverse effects from poor air quality.—
Southern California Weather Report,
Oc Register,
16 June 2026
-
Equating the Holocaust to Gaza is in extremely poor taste.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
16 June 2026
Adjective
-
Isdin Melatonik If traditional retinoids have left your sensitive skin unhappy, Isdin's Melatonik Recovery Night Serum offers a gentler approach with bakuchiol.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
23 June 2026
-
Brown and the Celtics have both since denied speculation that the 29-year-old second-team All-NBA selection was unhappy with his role in Boston.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
22 June 2026
Adjective
-
Powerful, rich people filled the lawn to watch a violent sport that ended with a vile and racist comment.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 June 2026
-
That person is referring to heavyweight Josh Hokit, who is facing widespread backlash for making a vile joke about former first lady Michelle Obama after winning his match over Derrick Lewis.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
15 June 2026
Adjective
-
The pricier piece is often the cheaper one to own.—
Ryan Brennan,
Charlotte Observer,
19 June 2026
-
That marks a shift from an older data-center playbook built around cheap land, fiber access and tax incentives, with power planning often becoming a constraint later in the process.—
Ron Schmelzer,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
Adjective
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Consider this pathetic phenomenon yet one more reason the American people — or, at least, Californians — should demand a more rational way to fund political campaigns.—
Michelle Cottle,
Mercury News,
16 June 2026
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After a truly pathetic opening half, the Knicks needed to give each and every row in MSG something to cheer about.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wretched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wretched. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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