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
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
The unfortunate wretch makes an exciting escape, killing her captor in the process.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 18 Feb. 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
The song's lyrics also leave no topic off limits, touching on all that made the band wonder and wretch, with a tongue-in-cheek approach.
—Derek Scancarelli, EW.com, 12 May 2022
Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2025
The unfortunate wretch makes an exciting escape, killing her captor in the process.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 18 Feb. 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
The song's lyrics also leave no topic off limits, touching on all that made the band wonder and wretch, with a tongue-in-cheek approach.
—Derek Scancarelli, EW.com, 12 May 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wretch
Noun
-
Two of the game’s most brilliant villains have matured into eloquent eulogists.—
Simon Vozick-Levinson,
Rolling Stone,
30 June 2025
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For an industry which has long been treated by the television and film industries as a dirty, dangerous business run by unethical, cartoon-ish villains like J.R. Ewing, such a balanced portrayal is a welcome change, indeed.—
David Blackmon,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2025
Noun
-
This freshly re-imagined Jag is worlds apart from that old German brute, but was similar in the sense of feeling wonderfully light and responsive, and utilizing hydraulic fluid to power its steering.—
Peter Nelson,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2025
-
Cops released surveillance photos of a trio of brutes wanted for punching, repeatedly stabbing and robbing a man on a Bronx train last month.—
Emma Seiwell,
New York Daily News,
7 June 2025
Noun
-
The monster season Soto gave the Yankees last year, leading them to the World Series, is what the Padres expected from him.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 June 2025
-
Today, that monster lives on, not in steel and speakers, but in light.—
Noah Eckstein,
HollywoodReporter,
23 June 2025
Noun
-
Often regarded by historians as a collection of savage tribes, the Scythians emerge as a pivotal force of the ancient world in this monumental history.—
The New Yorker,
The New Yorker,
30 Jan. 2023
-
Nearly 32 years ago, Rodney King’s savage beating by police in Los Angeles prompted heartfelt calls for change.—
Aaron Morrison, Claudia Lauer and Adrian Sainz,
Anchorage Daily News,
29 Jan. 2023
Noun
-
And Tony nominee Daniel J. Watts nails his portrayal of Sammy Davis Jr. as a real-life devil on the shoulder of the conflicted trailblazer, while Krystal Joy Brown, Kathy Fitzgerald, Ruby Lewis and Kenita Miller turn out stellar performances in multiple roles.—
Karu F. Daniels,
New York Daily News,
12 June 2025
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Photo : Riva Yachts Riva 68 Diable The 68 Diable lives up to its name—a handsome devil that will be the most stunning yacht at Venice.—
Julia Zaltzman,
Robb Report,
28 May 2025
Noun
-
As crypto holders become increasingly savvy online, criminals start resorting to physical attacks.—
Marie Poteriaieva,
Forbes.com,
24 June 2025
-
According to his campaign website, some of his goals include increasing police presence, protecting undocumented immigrants but deporting violent criminals, taxing the rich, and eliminating waste.—
Emily Chang,
ABC News,
24 June 2025
Noun
-
Mr Leopold Bloom ate with relish the inner organs of beasts and fowls.—
Benjamin Hale
June 23,
Literary Hub,
23 June 2025
-
After a late-season implosion in 2011, Epstein moved on to Chicago to slay a beast even more ferocious than the Bambino — the Billy Goat.—
Jayson Stark,
New York Times,
19 June 2025
Noun
-
Yet each performance feels angled at a slightly different degree, one distinct acting turn making all the difference between a charming scoundrel, a depressed artist, a loyal sidekick, an aloof intellectual, or a precocious kid.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
12 June 2025
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Is Jim Ellis a live-fast, die-young scoundrel or just a mostly pretty nice guy with a heart of gold who just happens to be working for the mob?—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wretch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wretch. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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