Definition of wretch
1 : a miserable person : one who is profoundly unhappy or in great misfortune
2 : a base, despicable, or vile person
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Examples of wretch in a Sentence
The poor wretch lost his job.
the clerk was an ungrateful wretch who stole money from his employer's cash register
Recent Examples of wretch from the Web
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One of the police said, ‘Let these wretches suffer.
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Only an actor of Hoffman's caliber could've imbued such a wretch with that sort of complexity, even dignity.
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Origin and Etymology of wretch
Middle English wrecche, from Old English wrecca outcast, exile; akin to Old High German hrechjo fugitive, Old English wrecan to drive, drive out — more at wreak
First Known Use: before 12th century
WRETCH Defined for English Language Learners
wretch
playDefinition of wretch for English Language Learners
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: a very unhappy or unlucky person
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: a very bad or unpleasant person
WRETCH Defined for Kids
wretch
playDefinition of wretch for Students
1 : a miserable unhappy person
2 : a very bad person You're an ungrateful wretch.
Learn More about wretch
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See words that rhyme with wretch Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for wretch Spanish Central: Translation of wretch Nglish: Translation of wretch for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of wretch for Arabic speakers
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