wretched

adjective

ˈre-chəd How to pronounce wretched (audio)
Definition of wretchednext
1
as in terrible
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 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

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 This amounted, perhaps, in my mother’s view of life, to a wretched demonstration of love. — Andrea Bajani, New Yorker, 7 June 2026 Jones also further expounds on the vampire’s wretched lineage and mythology through flashbacks. — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 3 June 2026 Tensions escalated at the facility over Memorial Day weekend as hundreds of detainees went on a hunger strike to protest spoiled food and wretched conditions, some of their lawyers said. — Chris Boyette, CNN Money, 1 June 2026 Of course, the downside to aggressively selling is the season could go from bad to historically wretched. — Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 31 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for wretched
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wretched
  1. terrible
  2. pitiful
  3. bleak
  4. poor
  5. unhappy
  6. vile
  7. cheap
  8. pathetic
Adjective
  • The delta between the disability from these diseases and the amount of funding and research being done on them is terrible.
    — Emily Forlini, Fortune, 3 Aug. 2026
  • And forty per cent was about how great Modi is and how terrible the opposition is.
    — Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of terrible
Adjective
  • Completing the hat trick in pitiful style, Taking on the World was shot on a shoestring budget, helmed by the man behind Highlander III, and forced to rely on stock footage of real-life footballers.
    — Jon O'Brien, Vulture, 26 June 2026
  • Given the national team’s pitiful demise at the Oval, with New Zealand completing victory on the fifth morning, Ben Stokes’ revival in absentia feels like the only consolation from a miserable week.
    — Hector Vickers, New York Times, 21 June 2026
Definition of pitiful
Adjective
  • Eventually, a gun-free compromise was found, though the opening act of the movie would remain surprisingly bleak and emotionally complex.
    — Richard Edwards, Space.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Some of them are orphans or runaways, and so the environment is pretty bleak.
    — Matt Minton, Variety, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of bleak
Adjective
  • Covid-19 wasn’t immediately recognized as a disease with airborne transmission with the potential to spread beyond the 6-foot social distancing measure, especially in places with poor ventilation or around activities with heavy breathing.
    — Deidre McPhillips, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Crepe myrtles may not bloom due to poor pruning, low light, watering issues, weak soil, or pests.
    — Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of poor
Adjective
  • So this became, like, a collective therapy session for everyone unhappy with the government.
    — Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Their heated exchange on the field lasted more than two minutes, with Jones unhappy that Szoboszlai had given the captain’s armband to Tsimikas rather than him when the Hungary midfielder was substituted 13 minutes from time.
    — James Pearce, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of unhappy
Adjective
  • His tenure came to an end when video surfaced of a drunken Galliano berating other customers at a Paris bar with vile antisemitic insults.
    — Greg Evans, Deadline, 1 Aug. 2026
  • But no amount of handouts, Hefty bags and Windex can pretty up the scene right now around Lineage, as my colleague Salvador Hernandez described this week in vivid, vile detail.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2026
Definition of vile
Adjective
  • Its latest pickup, the Ford Fathom, will cost a downright cheap $28,350, which should set it up to be a massive seller.
    — Michael Ballaban, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Which explains why even modern-day Russia has recently loaded up with the cheapest possible foreign labor from former Soviet satellite states.
    — Rachel Marsden, Hartford Courant, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of cheap
Adjective
  • North Texas Howard WKU Northwestern Rutgers Nebraska That's a pathetic first six weeks.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 31 July 2026
  • Despite the Warriors operating with a pathetic sense of self-mortification — bending over backward for the mere possibility the King might grace them with his presence — the power of friendship wasn’t enough to lure James to the Bay.
    — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 24 July 2026
Definition of pathetic

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Cite this Entry

“Wretched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wretched. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of wretched for Spanish Speakers

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