1
as in horrible
extremely unsatisfactory
this report is simply wretched—you'll have to rewrite it
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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 terrible
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
Mings watched on from the Wembley steps as an unused substitute during the wretched FA Cup semi-final defeat to Crystal Palace, many fans believing his skill set was better suited to deal with Palace’s counter-attacking threat.
—
Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 14 May 2025
Fernandes, who’s been at Old Trafford since 2020, chalked up 19 goals and 20 assists in all competitions during a wretched 2024/25 campaign for the Red Devils.
—Henry Flynn, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025
Fair enough — the club is playing wretched baseball, and some responsibility for that goes to the manager.
—Tim Britton, New York Times, 13 May 2025
The Baltimore Orioles fired manager Brandon Hyde last week after a wretched start to the season, which followed a winter in which general manager Mike Elias could not land an upper-tier arm to improve the pitching staff.
—Andy McCullough, New York Times, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for wretched
Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 14 May 2025
Fernandes, who’s been at Old Trafford since 2020, chalked up 19 goals and 20 assists in all competitions during a wretched 2024/25 campaign for the Red Devils.
—Henry Flynn, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025
Fair enough — the club is playing wretched baseball, and some responsibility for that goes to the manager.
—Tim Britton, New York Times, 13 May 2025
The Baltimore Orioles fired manager Brandon Hyde last week after a wretched start to the season, which followed a winter in which general manager Mike Elias could not land an upper-tier arm to improve the pitching staff.
—Andy McCullough, New York Times, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for wretched
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wretched
Adjective
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To be able to say that so many writers have been meaningful to you is not a horrible thing.—
John Warner,
Chicago Tribune,
28 June 2025
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If Flagg develops into the human triple double who leads the team to the Western Conference Finals and NBA Finals in his first six years, the trade can be called not a horrible deal.—
Mac Engel,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 June 2025
Adjective
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For example, the 1890s saw the Royal Observatory hire women for the first time, who worked for a pitiful wage as 'computers' to examine and refine observational data.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
22 June 2025
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There is nothing deficient, unnatural or pitiful about being single, as we’re often led to believe.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2025
Adjective
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During that bleak era, Che-Chung Tsai, a researcher at the University of Washington, contacted several companies, seeking experimental drugs for use in an animal study.—
Jon Cohen,
New Yorker,
24 June 2025
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That said, Google’s latest survey paints a bleak picture.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
Adjective
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Despite having a poor 2024 season that saw the Pirates remove Bednar from the closer role, the right-hander is back to his dominant form.—
Zach Pressnell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 June 2025
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The key drivers are BGE’s soaring spending and profits and poor management by PJM Interconnection, the private entity that operates our electric grid.—
Emily Scarr,
Baltimore Sun,
29 June 2025
Adjective
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The root of the fallout was the Who (and specifically Daltrey) being unhappy with Starkey’s performance when the band played a pair of Teenage Cancer Trust charity shows at London’s Royal Albert Hall in March.—
Daniel Kreps,
Rolling Stone,
22 June 2025
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On Friday, Devers alluded to being unhappy with how the Red Sox treated him.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
20 June 2025
Adjective
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But here’s the hard truth: the First Amendment protects vile, hateful speech, not just popular opinions.—
Bob Shaw,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 June 2025
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The second my status came into question, the vile comments on my worthiness came out, and those comments are telling.—
Sonam Sheth
Gabe Whisnant
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 June 2025
Adjective
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Rarely great, and consistently cringey in that NHL way we’re used to by now, but rarely terrible.—
Sean McIndoe,
New York Times,
28 June 2025
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Gi-hun is left with a terrible choice: kill the baby and survive, or sacrifice himself so that the baby can live.—
Kayti Burt,
Time,
27 June 2025
Adjective
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Nevertheless, the squad needs to shift strategies and Sonny is here to take them from pathetic to aggressive.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
26 June 2025
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Jarvis’ performance is transformative, making Mark both pathetic and feverishly alive, his corrosive remorse seemingly genuine.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
10 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wretched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wretched. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
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