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 clothesb : very poor in quality or ability : inferior wretched workmanship
wretchedly
adverbwretchedness
nounExplore M-W
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 of wretched from the Web
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Every summer, in what is now a wretched rite of passage, huge swaths of Sacramento’s urban forest go up in flames.
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So this horrible, idiotic, disgrace of a human being who is at the end of his wretched life is now pulling out of the Paris climate deal?
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The two are sleeping blissfully in their home after being reunited at movie's end following the removal of Will's wretched curse of The Flying Dutchman.
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About 5.5 million people 65 years and older have the disease - a wretched and fatal form of dementia that erases memories and ultimately can destroy mental and physical capacity.
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Munoz began his tenure by making friends with United’s employees, an unhappy workforce whose disgruntlement was often manifested in wretched customer relations.
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And a Trump win won’t cure some fundamental factors that have helped drive a wretched year for health-care stocks.
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Humid blocks packed with wretched bodies wandering.
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So while shackles and a whip are shown, the exhibit on slave ships does not try to recreate the wretched conditions.
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.
Origin and Etymology of wretched
Middle English, irregular from wretch
First Known Use: 12th century
WRETCHED Defined for English Language Learners
wretched
playDefinition of wretched for English Language Learners
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: very unhappy, ill, etc.
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: very bad or unpleasant
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: very poor in quality or ability
WRETCHED Defined for Kids
wretched
playDefinition of wretched for Students
1 : very unhappy or unfortunate : suffering greatly
2 : causing misery or distress wretched living conditions
3 : of very poor quality : inferior wretched food I have a wretched memory.
wretchedly
adverbwretchedness
nounLearn More about wretched
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for wretched Spanish Central: Translation of wretched Nglish: Translation of wretched for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of wretched for Arabic speakers
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