1
as in poorly
in an unsatisfactory way
the whole hockey team played wretchedly that night
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in bitterly
with feelings of bitterness or grief
we're wretchedly disappointed in you for behaving so irresponsibly
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 wretchedly
The Eastern Europeans—Yiddish Jews, Kimmel calls them—were poor, wretchedly so.
—
Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wretchedly
Adverb
-
Through indefatigable research, Kara fixes poorly remembered facts and makes a decent case that the publicity galvanized the movement to abolish British slavery a half century later.—
The Atlantic,
The Atlantic,
14 May 2026
-
Just avoid natural stone materials like marble, which can react poorly to many cleaning products.—
Ryan Brennan,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 May 2026
Adverb
-
On February 20, 1933, a bitterly cold winter day, President Hoover had laid the cornerstone of the new archives.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 May 2026
-
Players and owners fought bitterly about how many games should be played during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, settling on 60 games.—
Evan Drellich,
New York Times,
12 May 2026
Adverb
-
In one of them, a spot attacking Harman, Checchi included a photo of the lieutenant governor — and not a bad-looking one at that.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Mercury News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
In one of them, a spot attacking Harman, Checchi included a photo of the lieutenant governor — and not a bad-looking one at that.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Tarun would tease her, and my mother would look sorrowfully toward Kavitha, as if the two of them now shared some womanly burden.—
Madhuri Vijay,
New Yorker,
16 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
While some African countries are major oil and gas producers, the continent imports the vast majority of its fuels, leaving it badly exposed to foreign energy shocks.—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
14 May 2026
-
The man died immediately, but his body badly damaged one of the jet engines.—
The Denver Post Editorial Board,
Denver Post,
13 May 2026
Adverb
-
David Smith, one of the former owners, reports that despite its wild popularity, the original cake recipe sadly got lost.—
Nancy Vienneau,
Southern Living,
17 May 2026
-
Hüller is having a hell of a year, winning the Silver Bear for her role as a woman passing herself off as a male soldier to claim an estate in Rose, and playing the wry, sadly pragmatic head of the international task force in Project Hail Mary, one of the biggest hits of the year.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
Adverb
-
By now, the playbook is painfully predictable.—
Bobby Burack OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
18 May 2026
-
The 29-year-old influencer, best known as Corporate Natalie, has built an audience of more than 2 million followers by making corporate culture feel funny, relatable and painfully accurate.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
17 May 2026
Adverb
-
For their part, Democratic leaders spoke mournfully of limits, of energy shortages, of national decline, of a crisis of confidence itself.—
Rosa Lyster,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
-
Based on the Dylan Thomas prose poem of the same name, published in 1952, the film lovingly and mournfully depicts the boyhood Christmastime of an old Welshman, tenderly and a tad mischievously embodied by Elliott.—
Sheldon Pearce,
New Yorker,
21 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wretchedly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wretchedly. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
