wretched

play

adjective 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 clothesb : very poor in quality or ability : inferior wretched workmanship

wretchedly

adverb

wretchedness

noun

See wretched defined for English-language learners

See wretched defined for kids

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

Cuba’s party scene became an infamous stage for tourism at its most exploitative and indulgent, a wretched and poisonous case of bloat.

— peter lewis, The Christian Science Monitor, "'Havana' probes the mysteries and magic of the Cuban capital", 5 July 2017
After 13 starts, Colón has compiled a wretched 8.14 ERA across 63 innings.

— jon tayler, SI.com, "Goodnight, sweet prince: The Braves have designated Bartolo Colón for assignment", 29 June 2017
Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

— kitty conley, Post-Tribune, "Scratching Post", 26 June 2017
All of this noise has obscured the indisputable reality that without readily available care, huge swaths of this country will endure an increasingly wretched existence in which their basic survival is called into question.

— lauren duca, Teen Vogue, "You Can't Debate Health Care If You're Dead", 23 June 2017
And no matter how wretched or tortured their situations, Klam makes sure that the portrait of male misery is a punchline rather than something to pity.

— The Cut, "9 Books We’re Reading This Month", 22 June 2017
Those who missed out on the chance to dine with the Oracle of Omaha likely comforted themselves with the thought that such a lunch is just wretched excess—

— suzanne woolley, Bloomberg.com, "Is a $2.7 Million Lunch With Warren Buffett a Bargain?", 16 June 2017
Prominent French actors, lawmakers and others are appealing to President Emmanuel Macron to stop pressure on migrants again converging on Calais after the closure of a wretched camp that came to symbolize Europe’s migration crisis.

— Washington Post, "World Digest: June 16, 2017", 16 June 2017
These wretched man creatures were used as sedentary artisans, working leather or copper, and were quite docile.

— john kass, chicagotribune.com, "'Wonder Woman' is great indeed, but she's no Arya Stark", 7 June 2017

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

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First Known Use: 12th century

See Words from the same year

WRETCHED Defined for English Language Learners

wretched

play

adjective

Definition of wretched for English Language Learners

: very unhappy, ill, etc.
: very bad or unpleasant
: very poor in quality or ability

WRETCHED Defined for Kids

wretched

play

adjective wretch·ed \ˈre-chəd\

Definition 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.