1
as in terrible
extremely unsatisfactory
this report is simply wretched—you'll have to rewrite it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in pitiful
arousing or deserving of one's loathing and disgust
a wretched lie
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in bleak
causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer
lived alone in a wretched room in a run-down hotel
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in poor
falling short of a standard
a wretched attempt at writing an original song
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in unhappy
feeling unhappiness
she was wretched for weeks after breaking up with her boyfriend
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in vile
not following or in accordance with standards of honor and decency
his wretched treatment of women earned him a bad reputation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in cheap
of low quality
wretched goods that aren't even worth half of what the store is charging for them
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
8
as in pathetic
deserving of one's pity
those wretched souls who cannot even afford a decent roof over their heads
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
9
as in miserable
deserving pitying scorn (as for inadequacy)
the pampered socialite complained that the only room available was in a wretched little motel by the highway
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of wretched
Of course, the downside to aggressively selling is the season could go from bad to historically wretched.
—
Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 31 May 2026
Even with the Tigers’ grisly combination of injury misfortune and wretched play, their season is not yet over.
—Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 26 May 2026
Yes, it’s mostly wretched, but once in a great while there will be a song that’s actually not autotuned.
—Marla Jo Fisher, Oc Register, 13 May 2026
Still, Ohm is more despairing and miserable than any of the wretched worms Scott has acted to date.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wretched
Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 31 May 2026
Even with the Tigers’ grisly combination of injury misfortune and wretched play, their season is not yet over.
—Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 26 May 2026
Yes, it’s mostly wretched, but once in a great while there will be a song that’s actually not autotuned.
—Marla Jo Fisher, Oc Register, 13 May 2026
Still, Ohm is more despairing and miserable than any of the wretched worms Scott has acted to date.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wretched
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wretched
Adjective
-
In 2012, a powerful quake visited terrible damage on the city of Modena, Bottura’s home and host to his restaurant.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
-
The letter writer’s cousin has cancer, and the chemo gives her terrible side effects.—
Eric Thomas,
Sun Sentinel,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
The standard height for an off-the-shelf front door is six feet and eight inches — pitiful, really.—
Clio Chang,
Curbed,
19 Nov. 2025
-
Sheridan seemed more interested in devoting his time and energy to his several other series, including Landman, which aired its first season concurrently with that pitiful final stretch.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
16 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
In Meetings, Merlin sat agitated with a folder of newspaper clippings in his lap, occasionally shedding bleak confetti.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Aug. 2025
-
On paper, business over the next few weeks looks bleak.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
19 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
If poor flowering persists year after year, consider planting a different variety of tomatoes that better suits your climate.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
16 June 2026
-
The only question now is how much of the public's time and money the Mayor is willing to waste to obscure the numerous poor decisions her administration and the County have made for decades.—
Manuel Bojorquez,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
Adjective
-
The European Commission froze billions of euros in funds for Hungary in response to democratic backsliding led by Orbán, and concern lingers about the damage that can be done when one unhappy government insists on wielding its veto.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 June 2026
-
Social media is making children unhappy and is designed to be addictive, Starmer said at a press conference.—
Elsa Ohlen,
CNBC,
15 June 2026
Adjective
-
While Washington drags its feet, kids across the nation are being exposed to vile, pornographic images and ads with no meaningful safeguards to prevent it.—
Rachel del Guidice,
FOXNews.com,
10 June 2026
-
Maddie Scott reposted vile comments from one user in particular that threatened not only her and her husband, but also their newborn son.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
Adjective
-
This momentum reflects rapid advances in both AI and hardware over the past two years, driven by better models and cheaper components.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Dec. 2025
-
More people appear to be walking away from Affordable Care Act coverage or switching to cheaper plans for 2026 compared to this time last year, according to early enrollment data from several states.—
Berkeley Lovelace Jr,
NBC news,
11 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
Sports make people a little pathetic.—
Hannah Keyser,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
-
Williams didn't portray Peter Banning as pathetic.—
Cynthia Pelayo,
PEOPLE,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wretched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wretched. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
