wretched

adjective

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wretch·ed | \ ˈre-chəd

Definition of wretched

1 : deeply afflicted, dejected, or distressed in body or mind

2 : extremely or deplorably bad or distressing was in wretched health a wretched accident

3a : being or appearing mean, miserable, or contemptible dressed in wretched old clothes

b : very poor in quality or ability : inferior wretched workmanship

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Synonyms & Antonyms for wretched

Synonyms

Antonyms

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 My purpose was to highlight wretched excess in mail-order packaging. — Eric Zorn, chicagotribune.com, "Column: A bold idea for alleviating Amazon guilt from the comfort of your couch," 30 Apr. 2021 The ex-Villarreal centre back has had a wretched time of injuries since arriving in the North West of England in 2016 with no signs of let-up. — Liam Canning, Forbes, "Eric Bailly’s New Contract At Manchester United Is Good News For All," 27 Apr. 2021 Other times, it’s been wretched finishing that have ruined otherwise strong showings. — Matthew Defranks, Dallas News, "Jamie Benn nets game-winning OT goal as Stars outlast brilliance of Detroit’s Jonathan Bernier," 24 Apr. 2021 That year's Drew Bledsoe consolation prize, Mirer was wretched in four years with Seattle (20-31 record, 65.2 passer rating). — Nate Davis, USA Today, "101 biggest NFL draft busts in history: Which gaffes stand out the most?," 12 Apr. 2021 Some of her classmates don’t know or understand all the wretched details and twists of fate Watson has endured. — al, "Gaston’s ReAnna Watson becomes ‘perfect person’ despite tragedy," 10 Apr. 2021 Nothing could have prepared him for the wretched realities of trench warfare. — Joseph Loconte, National Review, "C. S. Lewis as Anti-war Poet," 1 Apr. 2021 And if those enslaved tried to escape their wretched circumstances? — Jamil Smith, Rolling Stone, "George Floyd’s Body Is On Trial For Its Own Murder," 9 Apr. 2021 The only victories so far are those being claimed by the I-told-you-so crowd that thought this team would be wretched. — BostonGlobe.com, "How worried should we be about the Red Sox’ 0-3 start?," 5 Apr. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'wretched.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.