1
as in terrible
extremely unsatisfactory
this report is simply wretched—you'll have to rewrite it
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in pitiful
arousing or deserving of one's loathing and disgust
a wretched lie
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3
as in bleak
causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer
lived alone in a wretched room in a run-down hotel
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4
as in poor
falling short of a standard
a wretched attempt at writing an original song
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5
as in unhappy
feeling unhappiness
she was wretched for weeks after breaking up with her boyfriend
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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
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7
as in cheap
of low quality
wretched goods that aren't even worth half of what the store is charging for them
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8
as in pathetic
deserving of one's pity
those wretched souls who cannot even afford a decent roof over their heads
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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
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Example Sentences
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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
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Trump has made a pitiful shambles of what should have been a glorious moment.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
31 May 2026
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With his country flailing in their pitiful attempts to qualify for the 2006 World Cup, at the age of 33, Zidane underwent his change of heart.—
Amy Lawrence,
New York Times,
31 May 2026
Adjective
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Their pursuit leads them down a highly unusual path with no easy answers, and Bong masterfully balances tonal shifts from bleak tragedy to absurdist humor to highlight why the case remains so compelling.—
Eric Farwell,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 June 2026
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The picture looks much bleaker for the president now.—
Linley Sanders,
Chicago Tribune,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
The second didn’t go nearly as well for Bussi as Karlsson and Howden scored on two of the Golden Knights’ six shots in the period to tie the score at 3-3 heading into the third, the tying goal coming off a Seth Jarvis turnover and a couple of poor defensive plays by Sean Walker and K’Andre Miller.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
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Heat radiates from the pages of this extraordinary novel about a poor family in rural Mississippi in the days leading up to Hurricane Katrina.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
Adjective
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Carting around unhappy campers in 100-degree weather and squeezing work into a shorter window is not exactly being poolside with a marg.—
Abby McCloskey,
Twin Cities,
4 June 2026
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Mansfield city hall a point of contention Melissa Perez, who ultimately lost to Simmons in last year’s council race, is one of those unhappy with Mansfield’s leadership and its direction.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 June 2026
Adjective
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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
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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
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Analyst Seth Seifman said in a note that the stock still isn’t cheap — with Kratos trading at 76 times forward earnings — but notes that investors have been awarding high-growth companies in this sector with elevated premiums.—
Davis Giangiulio,
CNBC,
12 June 2026
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While countries highlighted in a new report of summer’s top travel destinations may not come as a surprise, the data also revealed ways to get there for cheaper.—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
12 June 2026
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 15 Jun. 2026.
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