as in villain
a mean, evil, or unprincipled person
the clerk was an ungrateful wretch who stole money from his employer's cash register
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Recent Examples of wretch
This mid-movie handoff dilutes the shock of how articulate the wretch proves in del Toro’s telling (the creature could barely speak in James Whale’s original Universal monster movie).
—
Peter Debruge, Variety, 30 Aug. 2025
Since then, he’s been a haunted wretch of a character: stoned, sullen, stuck with recurring visions of shooting his wife and himself.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2025
As Blake transforms into a swollen, oozing wretch who gnaws frantically on his own wounds, his family appears as glowing-eyed aliens, their words a jumble of indecipherable sounds.
—Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2025
The wretch was one E. W. Perera, a pivotal figure in the Ceylonese independence movement—and someone the narrator had celebrated growing up in Sri Lanka.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025
The wretch in question has cut down one of the speaker’s spruce trees without his permission.
—Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2023
Had this poor wretch been well supplied with friends and money the result, as in numerous other instances, might have been different.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2023
Or would a wretch like me be saved by His amazing grace?
—Damon Young, Washington Post, 24 Oct. 2022
Peter Debruge, Variety, 30 Aug. 2025
Since then, he’s been a haunted wretch of a character: stoned, sullen, stuck with recurring visions of shooting his wife and himself.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2025
As Blake transforms into a swollen, oozing wretch who gnaws frantically on his own wounds, his family appears as glowing-eyed aliens, their words a jumble of indecipherable sounds.
—Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2025
The wretch was one E. W. Perera, a pivotal figure in the Ceylonese independence movement—and someone the narrator had celebrated growing up in Sri Lanka.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025
The wretch in question has cut down one of the speaker’s spruce trees without his permission.
—Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2023
Had this poor wretch been well supplied with friends and money the result, as in numerous other instances, might have been different.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2023
Or would a wretch like me be saved by His amazing grace?
—Damon Young, Washington Post, 24 Oct. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wretch
Noun
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The cast also includes Eugene Byrd as a young version of classic Spider-Man villain Tombstone, Hugh Dancy as Otto Octavius, MCU star Charlie Cox as Daredevil, Kari Wahlgren as Aunt May, Aleks Le as Amadeus Cho and Jonathan Medina as the villainous Scorpion.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
11 Oct. 2025
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The tournaments pit heroes like Liu Kang, Raiden, and Sonya Blade against such villains as Shang Tsung, Shao Kahn, and Scorpion.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
11 Oct. 2025
Noun
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An extermination of the brutes in the Middle East, presided over by Obama’s successors, has been followed by a swift cancellation by Trumpian decree of the postracial age.—
Pankaj Mishra,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
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Each fits into typical RPG classes — with Armon being the close combat brute, Harlow the magical crowd control specialist, Rafa the agile rogue, and Vex serving as a summoner who calls on minions to do the dirty work.—
George Yang,
Rolling Stone,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Their 7-3 win over the Cubs in Game 2 of the other NLDS matchup was powered solely by three monster home runs.—
Chris Branch,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
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Season 3 picks up with the Monster Association arc, as S-class heroes band together to rescue a hostage taken by monsters claiming affiliation with the villainous organization.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The 'Kill Tony' host, Hinchcliffe, famously appeared at last year's massive Netflix roast for Tom Brady and generated buzz for his savage lines aimed at the NFL legend.—
Matthew Couden,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Sep. 2025
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Texas is gearing up for war as a savage, flesh-eating fly appears poised for a US invasion and is expanding its range of victims.—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
8 Aug. 2025
Noun
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At that moment, there was no scene involving a devil, but that quickly changed.—
Marina Watts,
PEOPLE,
5 Oct. 2025
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But this is no case study in the evils of devil-worshipping musicians.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Flock Safety argues its drone system can act as a deterrent simply by being visible, making criminals think twice before targeting a store.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
11 Oct. 2025
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So those drums can fall into the hands of criminals who then refill them with the cheaper, toxic liquids and pass them off as the pharmaceutical-grade product, selling them to drug manufacturers who are looking to save money on ingredients.—
Gabrielle Emanuel,
NPR,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Many state and local leaders, including the governor, have argued the bed shortage and overcrowding lead to dangerous offenders being released early from prison, creating risks for the public.—
Penny Weaver,
Arkansas Online,
7 Oct. 2025
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According to Bates, there were between 5,000 and 6,000 such offenders in the city.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
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With his physique and athleticism, Duren will continue being a beast on the glass.—
Stan Son,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
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Best Prime Day Dyson Ball Vacuum Cleaner Deals Featuring the most powerful suction of any Dyson vacuum and a whopping eight different attachment tools, the Animal Total Clean is a serious cleaning beast.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
9 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wretch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wretch. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025.
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